The Tom Collins recipe
for your table
Shake the gin, lemon juice and syrup briefly with ice.
Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice cubes.
Top up with soda water and stir gently once.
Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.
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The story
In 1874, the 'Great Tom Collins Hoax' swept through New York: pranksters told friends that a certain Tom Collins was speaking ill of them in the bar around the corner. Anyone who went to confront him found not a gossipmonger but, thanks to bartenders playing along, a refreshing drink by that name. More likely, the cocktail descended from the John Collins, named after a headwaiter in London and made with the sweeter Old Tom gin. The name and recipe merged, and Jerry Thomas officially documented the Tom Collins in 1876.
The right glass
This cocktail has its own glass: the Collins glass, a tall, narrow long drink glass that retains the bubbles longer than a wide glass. A capacity of 33 to 47 cl is perfect. Enough room for ice, cocktail and soda, yet narrow enough to preserve the fizz. Clear, thin glass best suits the fresh character of this classic. If you also want to serve the same gin as a long drink with tonic, you can find suitable models in our gin and tonic glasses.
Arcoroc Islande Long Drink Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Long Drink Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a Tom Collins, besides the glass, you use a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus press, long ice sticks and cocktail picks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 101,70.
What do you use to make a Tom Collins?
For a Tom Collins, you need gin and jenever. Well-known bottles include Hooghoudt and Linie Aquavit. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
With vodka, it becomes a Vodka Collins; with bourbon, a John Collins; with old jenever, a Dutch Collins - that tall glass goes with everything. Add a few raspberries or a splash of elderflower for a summery variation. Old Tom gin gives you the historically accurate, slightly sweeter version. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use large, sturdy ice cubes and pour in the soda last along a bar spoon. This helps the Collins retain its sparkle to the last sip. Old Tom gin lets you taste the historical version.
Good to know
Tom Collins or John Collins
The two are related and are often confused. The John Collins is the oldest and was named after a London head waiter from the nineteenth century; nowadays, you make it with bourbon instead of gin, while the rest of the formula is identical. The Tom Collins takes its name from the sweeter Old Tom gin it was originally made with. The same formula with vodka is called a Vodka Collins, with old jenever a Dutch Collins, and with tequila a Juan Collins. The glass and proportions remain the same in every case.
The ratio and how strong it is
Count on 4.5 cl gin, 3 cl fresh lemon juice and 1.5 cl sugar syrup, or 3:2:1, topped up with 6 to 9 cl soda water. The amount of soda determines how strong the drink turns out: with 6 cl, it comes to about 11 percent; with 9 cl, just under 9 percent. Add the meltwater from the ice and you end up at around 9 percent, comparable to a strong beer. If you find it too sour, increase the syrup to 2 cl instead of reducing the lemon; that way, the freshness stays intact.
Tom Collins or Gin Fizz: the difference
They may look identical on the ingredient list, but the preparation makes the difference. You shake a Gin Fizz and traditionally serve it without ice in a smaller glass, making it shorter, foamier and more intense; it should be finished immediately. The Tom Collins is poured over a glass full of ice, gets more soda and is a long drink you can take half an hour over. The practical difference: you make a Fizz for yourself on a Sunday morning, while you pour a Collins for four people on a terrace without anything going to waste.
Old Tom gin: the historical version
Old Tom is the gin style between jenever and London Dry: slightly sweeter, fuller and smoother, usually with a small amount of added sugar. Well into the nineteenth century, this was the standard gin, and the Tom Collins is named after it. If you make it with Old Tom, reduce the simple syrup from 1.5 to 1 cl; otherwise, the drink will be too sweet. A handful of brands are now available again for around thirty euros, and the difference in smoothness is noticeable.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a Tom Collins?
Shake 4.5 cl gin, 3 cl fresh lemon juice and 1.5 cl simple syrup briefly with ice, then strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice cubes. Top with 6 to 9 cl soda water, stir gently once and garnish with a lemon slice and a cocktail cherry.
Who is Tom Collins?
Tom Collins probably never existed. In 1874, the Great Tom Collins Hoax swept through New York: pranksters sent friends to the bar around the corner to confront a certain Tom Collins, after which bartenders served them a drink by that name. Jerry Thomas recorded the recipe in 1876.
Is it Tom Collins or John Collins?
Both exist. The John Collins is the older one, named after a London headwaiter and nowadays usually made with bourbon; the Tom Collins owes its name to the sweeter Old Tom gin. With vodka, the same structure is called a Vodka Collins; with oude jenever, a Dutch Collins.
What is the meaning of a Tom Collins cocktail?
The name refers to the 1874 joke and to the Old Tom gin it was originally made with. In terms of its composition, Collins refers to a family of long drinks made with spirits, citrus, sugar and soda, served in a tall, narrow glass holding 33 to 47 cl; see our highball glasses.
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