How To Make A Tom Collins Cocktail

Need to know how to make a Tom Collins cocktail? If you want to learn how to make gin cocktails, one of the first recipes you should learn is a Tom Collins. The recipe dates back to the 1876 edition of Jerry Thomas' "The Bartender's Guide," though it may have originally been concocted by John Collins, a London barman, in the mid-1800s. A Tom Collins is in essence lemonade made with alcohol, in this case, gin.

To make a Tom Collins cocktail, you will need:

• Gin
• Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• Simple syrup
• Club soda, chilled
• Lemon slices and cherries for garnish
• Ice
• A collins glass

1. Put ice in the collins glass. A collins glass is a tall glass, usually holding between ten and fourteen ounces of beverage. It is a narrow glass that is often interchanged with a highball glass.
2. Add two ounces of gin, one ounce of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, and three ounces of club soda to the glass. Mix the ingredients well. You can also mix the ingredients in a cocktail shaker if desired.
3. Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry. Serve and enjoy.

The Tom Collins is very similar to a Gin Fizz, distinguished by the addition of lemon juice. It is sometimes referred to as a John Collins, in reference to the London bartender who may or may not have originally developed the recipe. There are many variations on how to make a Tom Collins. These include the Raspberry Collins (add 3/4 ounce of creme de framboise and three ounces of raspberry puree, garnished with raspberries), the Ron Collins (made with rum instead of gin) and the Juan Collins (made with tequila instead of gin).