Tom Collins Recipe

Gin, lemon, and soda come together for one of the cocktail world's enduring classics.

By
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke
Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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Updated February 11, 2019
gin, lemon, and soda cocktail
Photograph: Vicky Wasik

The Tom Collins dates back more than a century and a half, but its welcoming crispness keeps it fresh always. So established in the libational world, the Tom Collins even has its own eponymous glass (tall, with plenty of room for ice).

Over the years, the drink has faced some challenges—bottles of Holland House Collins Mix in my parents' liquor cabinet spring to mind. Was squeezing a lemon really so difficult? But successfully navigating its course from horse-and-carriage days to the digital age, the Tom Collins is built for survival. Keep some lemons and soda water on-hand this weekend and knock together a Collins in between grilling stints.

Recipe Details

Tom Collins Recipe

Active 4 mins
Total 4 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces gin

  • 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 ounce simple syrup

  • 1 cup 8 fl oz club soda

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients other than club soda in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a Collins glass with lots of ice and top with chilled club soda. Insert straw and do what comes natural.

Special Equipment

Cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
125Calories
0gFat
8gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories125
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g3%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 6mg30%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 17mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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