Tom Collins - Recipe for a Special Summer Cocktail

The Tom Collins Cocktail is a refreshing summer drink with the tang of lemonade and the kick of gin.

According to legend, the Tom Collins cocktail originated from a joke told in New York in 1874. To spur sales, a group of friends circulated a story among bar friends that a man named Tom Collins was walking around the city, telling falsehoods about them. Incensed, the people began circulating bars looking for Mr. Collins.

From such dark beginnings comes a light and refreshing drink that is easy to make. Here is my favorite version. It’s a fun drink to riff on, so try your own versions.

Ingredients:

2 OZ Gin (I like Tanguerey.)

1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

.5 oz simple syrup

2 oz Soda Water

Lemon Round

Luxardo Cherry

Pour the gin, lemon juice, syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake it well and pour into a tall glass (collins glass) over ice. Top off the glass with the soda water. Garnish with cherry and lemon. Drink with a straw.

Variation: If you don’t like Gin, try it with Vodka.