Meet The Collins Family
The Tom Collins takes its name from the Old Tom sweetened gin originally used to make this simple and refreshing cocktail. Learn to make a Collins and you will instantly know a whole family of drinks. The basic ingredients are sweetened citrus juice and 2 oz of liquor plus soda water. Once upon a time a Collins was always made with gin. It is often a build, but many bartenders shake it to produce a more effervescent cocktail. The flavour varies greatly with the chosen spirit: gin, rum, whisky, vodka, brandy, or tequila. For Collins drinks, 2 oz of freshly squeezed citrus juice is used with approximately 1/2 oz of sugar syrup. You may have to adjust the amount of sweetener according to the tartness of the fruit. A tall 12 ounce Collins (aka Sling) glass is a natural choice for the Collins. For garnishes, try twists, wedges, sprigs of mint, berries, and pretty straws.
Here are the two most popular ‘Collins’ drinks:
To make a classic Tom Collins pour gin in a tall glass filled with ice, add 2 oz of sweetened lemon juice, and then top up with soda water.
With rye whisky instead of gin, it becomes a John Collins.
Other ‘Collins’ drinks:
Juan or José – with tequila
Comrade – with vodka
Micheal – with Irish whisky
Sandy – with Scotch whisky
Russel – with Jagermeister
Ron – with rum
Invite some friends and create your own ‘Collins’ inventions. Share your concoctions with Cocktail Hunter and perhaps your drink will be the Cocktail Of The Day for the world to enjoy.
Happy Mixing!
3 Comments On: Meet The Collins Family
It sounds interesting. Can you send me the recipe?
My friend just invented the future of cocktail. He found the lost French root of this beautiful Collin family, named Jean-Pierre Colin. •Red Wine
I have a very tasty Collins recipe I created that uses a lavender lemon syrup and a gin from a local distillery here in Rochester, NY. I’ve posted it below and you are welcome to share. Link to the original blog post with pics (there’s another drink recipe as well) here:
http://thesensorycart.wordpress.com/2014/03/04/distilling-my-thoughts/
Lady Sensory’s Jacques Collins
2 oz Black Button Citrus Forward Gin (an orange or citrus-infused gin will also work)
2 tbsp lavender lemon simple syrup (recipe below or use Royal Rose brand)
Orange slice and 1-2 Maraschino cherries for garnish
Top with sparkling water/ club soda.
Chill a Collins glass or large rocks glass a few minutes in advance. In a cocktail shaker, combine ice, gin and lavender lemon syrup. Shake until well combined and pour into the chilled glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with an orange slice and 1-2 cherries. This drink is simple, refreshing, and will make you long for summer (especially in this extreme cold!)
Lady Sensory’s DIY Lavender Lemon Simple Syrup
Zest and juice of two lemons + enough water to total 1.5 cup of liquid
1 tbsp dried lavender (make sure it’s for culinary use – you can get it at Williams-Sonoma)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
I added a small amount of vanilla sugar to slightly round out the flavor because I have a fussy palate. No worries if you don’t have it on hand – you can omit or add a tiny drop of vanilla extract. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil for several minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced in half (approximately 3/4 – 1 cup). Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer or tea strainer to remove the lavender and zest. The color will resemble pink lemonade. Syrup will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container.