Collins
5 recipes
This Field Manual holds 5 recipes in the collins family. A collins is a sour lengthened with soda water: spirit, lemon, sugar and bubbles, built tall over ice. It is a Tom Collins whatever the spirit, and the name changes with it.
The soda is what separates it from a fizz, which is shaken and served short. A collins is built in the glass and stays long, so the ice matters more than the shake: fill the glass and the drink stays cold without watering, half-fill it and it is thin by the second mouthful. Lemon is standard, lime makes it sharper, and the sugar comes down as the citrus goes up.
Base Spirit
Difficulty Level
Elderflower Collins
An Elderflower Collins is 45ml of gin, 20ml of elderflower liqueur and 25ml of fresh lemon juice, shaken hard for 10 to 12 seconds, strained over fresh ice in a collins glass and
John Collins
A John Collins is 45ml of London Dry gin, 30ml of fresh lemon juice and 15ml of sugar syrup built over ice in a collins glass, topped with 60ml of cold soda water and lifted once
Tom Collins
A Tom Collins is 60ml London Dry gin, 30ml fresh lemon juice and 15ml sugar syrup built over ice in a collins glass, topped with 90ml of cold soda and stirred once, with a lemon
Vodka Collins
A Vodka Collins is 50ml of vodka, 25ml of fresh lemon juice and 20ml of sugar syrup, shaken hard for 10 to 12 seconds, strained over fresh ice in a collins glass and topped with
Whiskey Collins
A Whiskey Collins is 50ml of bourbon, 25ml of fresh lemon juice and 20ml of sugar syrup, shaken hard with ice for 10 to 12 seconds, strained into a collins glass full of fresh ice