The Tom Collins experienced its peak popularity in the 1950s after the veterans returned home from overseas. Recently it has regained popularity. A Tom Collins cocktail is a drink made primarily from gin and sour mix, so you'll want to make sure you invest in a good quality gin before pulling out your Tom Collins recipe.
Look for gin that falls in the mid-price range and has been distilled multiple times. Gin is made from grain malt and juniper berries with other botanicals added in. Cheap gin can be tough on the palate. A good gin is spicy, but delicious.
Tom Collins mixes are available, but you can learn how to make a Tom Collins from scratch easily and it will taste much better than a cocktail made using a mix. Keep these Tom Collins ingredients on hand for fresh, delightful cocktails in a snap.
Gin
Fresh lemons
Sugar
Club soda
Maraschino cherries
Make a simply syrup using two parts sugar to one part water, cooking the sugar and water mixture over medium heat until it becomes a syrup and the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool the simple syrup.
Squeeze the juice from a lemon. Save one slice of the lemon as garnish.
Combine two ounces of gin, one ounce of lemon juice and half an ounce of simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Stir until combined. Add three ounces of club soda. Stir. Pour over ice in a Tom Collins glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and serve.
For variations on the Tom Collins, try substituting the following spirits for the gin:
John Collins - Bourbon
Ron Collins - Rum and lime juice
Tex Collins - Gin and grapefruit juice (use three ounces instead of one ounce of lemon)
Sandy Collins - Scotch
Jose Collins - Tequila
Comrade Collins - Vodka
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