Glassware

Collins Glass

A collins glass is a tall, slim tumbler, usually 30 to 42cl, for drinks of spirit, citrus and sugar lengthened with soda. Its height takes a full column of ice, and its small top surface keeps the soda fizzing longer. The Tom Collins it is named after, the Whiskey Collins and the Doctor Funk are all served in one.

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A tall, empty, straight-sided collins glass with a thick clear base, on a white background.

The tool

About the Collins Glass

Height for Width Sets It Apart

A collins glass often holds about as much as a British hiball, 30 to 42cl, but it puts that volume into a taller, slimmer shape. That is the useful difference, and it is why the two are so often confused.

The slim shape means a small top surface, where the bubbles from the soda escape, and a long column of ice running from base to rim.

It Was Made for Soda-Topped Sours

A collins drink starts as a sour of spirit, citrus and sugar, and soda lengthens it to a third or a half of the glass. The Tom Collins pairs 60ml of gin with 30ml of lemon and 15ml of syrup, then takes 90ml of soda; the Whiskey Collins swaps in bourbon.

With soda only part of the drink, every bubble counts, and the slim glass keeps them longer.

The same glass suits shaken long drinks that need height and ice, such as the Doctor Funk and the Reggae Rum Punch. A spirit with a single mixer belongs in a highball.

Collins glass against its tall neighbours

Collins

Usual size: 30-42cl
Shape: Tallest and slimmest for its size
In our recipes: Tom Collins, Doctor Funk, Lynchburg Lemonade

Highball

Usual size: 34-42cl
Shape: Tall, a little wider
In our recipes: Rum and Coke, Campari and Soda

Sling

Usual size: About 40cl
Shape: Footed, opening at the rim
In our recipes: Singapore Sling, Gin Sling

Glass	Usual size	Shape	In our recipes
Collins	30-42cl	Tallest and slimmest for its size	Tom Collins, Doctor Funk, Lynchburg Lemonade
Highball	34-42cl	Tall, a little wider	Rum and Coke, Campari and Soda
Sling	About 40cl	Footed, opening at the rim	Singapore Sling, Gin Sling

The Name Came From a Hoax

The name comes from an 1874 prank that newspapers spread through New York and Pennsylvania. You were told that a Tom Collins in a nearby bar had been talking about you, and went off to look for a man who did not exist.

The drink itself is probably older. A London tradition credits a gin drink of the same build to John Collins, who waited at Limmer's in Mayfair, and the Tom Collins first appears in print, most accounts say, in Jerry Thomas's guide of 1876. It is certainly in his 1887 edition.

Buy 36cl or More

Full-size collins drinks need a glass of 36cl or more. Look for straight sides and a thick base; a tall glass with a light base tips over when loaded with ice and drink.

A long bottle brush reaches the bottom where a hand cannot. If you have hard water, a rinse in warm water with a little white vinegar clears the film that builds up on tall glass.

Using it

Using the Collins Glass

Usage

Soda-topped sours, such as the Tom Collins, John Collins, Vodka Collins and Whiskey Collins, plus swizzles and shaken long drinks like the Doctor Funk and the Reggae Rum Punch. Our collins drinks mostly measure 150 to 200ml, ice not counted.

Pro Tip

Build the base over the ice and stir it cold before you add the soda. Soda poured into a drink that is already chilled keeps its gas, and a single turn of the spoon finishes it.

Professional Tips

Pack the glass to the rim with ice, then build.
Add the soda last, then one slow lift with the bar spoon.
Keep the soda in the fridge; warm soda loses its gas fast.
Rest a long garnish against the side; the straight wall holds it upright.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

Any straight-sided tumbler of 36cl or more holds a collins. A British hiball of that size is close enough for most kitchens.

Premium Option

Tall, fine-walled crystal on a solid base. It feels lighter to drink from and stands firmer on a busy bar; what is in it does not change.

Specifications

Material
Glass
Capacity
Usually 30 to 42cl (about 10 to 14oz)
Details
Tall, narrow and straight-sided, taller for its capacity than a highball, on a thick base

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More to explore

Common Questions

What's the difference between a collins glass and a highball?

Mainly height for width. A collins glass is taller and slimmer than a highball of similar capacity, which suits drinks built from spirit, citrus and sugar with soda added on top. The highball is made for a spirit and one mixer. They overlap so much that bars often use whichever is on the shelf.

What size is a collins glass?

Usually 30 to 42cl. Our Tom Collins comes to 195ml before the ice, so a glass of 36cl or more gives it a full stack of cubes without spilling. A 30cl glass suits shorter collins drinks such as the John Collins, at 150ml.

Who was the Tom Collins drink named after?

No real person, so far as anyone has shown. The name comes from an 1874 newspaper prank in New York and Pennsylvania: you were told that a Tom Collins in a nearby bar had been insulting you, and went to find him. A London tale gives an older gin drink to John Collins, a waiter at Limmer's in Mayfair.

Which drinks suit a collins glass?

Soda-topped sours: the Tom, John, Vodka and Whiskey Collins. It also holds shaken long drinks such as the Doctor Funk and the Reggae Rum Punch, swizzles like the Chartreuse Swizzle, and the Lynchburg Lemonade. Most long drinks of 150 to 200ml over ice fit.

How much ice goes in a collins glass?

Enough to reach the rim before you pour anything, as one column of cubes. Ice that stops halfway leaves the top of the drink warm, and the cubes melt faster. Large, dry cubes straight from the freezer last longest.

Is a Tom Collins served in a collins glass?

Yes; the glass is named after it. Ours builds gin, lemon and syrup over the ice and finishes with 90ml of chilled soda, poured down the side and given one slow turn of the spoon. A tall hiball does the job if you have no collins glass.

Can a collins glass go in the dishwasher?

Plain glass usually can, on a glass cycle. Wedge tall glasses so they cannot fall against each other, and give them time to cool before use. Repeated dishwashing slowly clouds glass, so wash thin or decorated ones by hand.

Make something

Made with the Collins Glass

Used In These Cocktails

Tom Collins Doctor Funk Lynchburg Lemonade Reggae Rum Punch Whiskey Collins John Collins

Show all 12 cocktails

Chartreuse Swizzle Elderflower Collins Raspberry Lynchburg Russian Spring Punch Stout Float Vodka Collins

Related Equipment

Updated 10 October 2026

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