Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is arguably the most recognizable example of the Collins family of drinks. Generally speaking, a Collins simply means a sour cocktail (those involving a spirit mixed with sugar and citrus) served in a tall glass over ice, and topped with soda water. Or, essentially, a spiked sparkling lemonade.

There’s some debate as to the origin of the Tom Collins. According to drinks historian David Wondrich, the drink is probably derived from the gin punches that gained popularity during the early 19th century. A common story is that an enterprising barkeep who worked for Limmer's Hotel in Lodon, John Collins, named the concoction after himself. However, it's arguable whether Collins actually invented the combination of ingredients, or just helped to bring it to the masses. Regardless, these early iterations of the the cocktail were typically made with either genever or Old Tom gin, resulting in the cocktail eventually becoming known as a Tom Collins rather than John Collins.

The Tom Collins was immortalized in Harry Johnson’s 1882 book, New and Improved Bartender’s Manual: Or How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style, but has been featured in countless iconic bartending manuals since. It has remained popular for over a century, and helped create the template for other sour-sparkling beverages like the French 75 and many modern spritzes.

Why the Tom Collins Works

The Tom Collins is basically just a gin sour that's been lengthened with soda water—essentially a gin-sour spritz. The same building blocks that make any sour drink work are at play here, consisting of a balance of sweet and sour in the form of simple syrup and lemon juice, mixed with a similar volume of distilled spirit.

Gin is commonly associated with sour cocktails, and botanicals of dried lemon or orange peel are such a staple of the category that most gin styles and brands will take well to the additional lemon or lime juice. Soda water helps to provide welcome dilution, allowing the gin's more subtle botanicals to present themselves and avoid being completely overwhelmed by the potent influence of fresh lemon and sugar. The carbonation, in addition to providing texture to the drink, wakes up the palate and keeps it refreshed, to avoid drink fatigue.

All together, the Tom Collins, along with the Highball, helped to popularize the concept of long drinks, which tend to be lower in alcohol by volume and more suitable to sipping over extended periods of time. It's template helped usher in an era where cocktails were seen as refreshment, rather than just a vehicle to consume alcohol.

Ingredients