December 07, 2017 Advent with SusieJ

Tom Collins

A friend's search for a bartender who could make a decent Tom Collins — someone who even knew what a Tom Collins was — piqued my interest in this classic. With the current cocktail revival, it should be as ubiquitous as a whiskey sour. It's even the namesake of the tall Collins glass! It's dead simple and very refreshing in the muggy heat of a Philadelphia summer.

  • 2 oz gin
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz sugar syrup
  • club soda

Shake gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup with ice. Strain into a tall Collins glass over ice. Top with club soda.

Variation: muddle two or three leaves of mint or basil in the bottom of the shaker before mixing.

[A tall glass with a gin cocktail, straw, and slice of lemon; copyright 2017 Jorj F. Bauer, all rights reserved]