What can we say about this essential classic recipe? Boozy lemonade basically! Originally made with Gin (Tom Collins) the formula works with any spirit you enjoy, it’s easy to twist and change into all sorts of variations through the addition of herbs, fruits, bitters and flavoured syrups.
Ingredients
- 60 ml BASE SPIRIT (2 parts)
- 30 ml FRESH LEMON JUICE (1 part)
- 15 ml SUGAR or RICH SIMPLE SYRUP (1/2 part)
- 90 ml SPARKLING WATER (3 parts)
How to make it
- 1 – Pour the base spirit, lemon juice and sugar into the highball glass.
- 2 – Use a stirrer to ensure that sugar is dissolved or the syrup is throughly mixed into the other ingredients.
- 3 – Add sparkling water.
- 4 – Taste to check the balance of the drink, then adjust if needed.
- 5 – Add as much ice as you can fit into the glass.
- 6 – Garnish, then serve!
Watch this
Shopping list calculator
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| Sugar or Rich Syrup | 0 | 0 | ml |
| Sparkling Water | 0 | 0 | ml |
| Lemon wheel | 0 | 0 | |
| Ice | 0 | 0 | grams |
Get nerdy with it
BASE SPIRIT OF CHOICE The original recipe is the ‘Tom Collins’ and uses Gin, but this recipe is so versatile, it will work with literally any spirit you like to drink.
FRESH LEMON JUICE Make sure it’s freshly squeezed, and for aesthetics purposes, we would recommend you strain it through a sieve to remove any pips or bits of flesh that will look unsightly floating around in the drink.
SUGAR Simple syrup (rich) or caster / bakers sugar – either will do.
SPARKLING WATER As always, use something highly carbonated (with strong bubbles!).
Why we chose this recipe for you
Try your favorite spirits as the base of the recipe. Brown spirits are particularly delicious and something you might not immediately think of. Test it out though, we bet you’ll love it!
You can also sub out the plain simple syrup for a vanilla syrup or whatever flavour you prefer. There are many flavoured syrups available to buy in stores these days…however, they won’t be as good as the ones you make at home. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, they are easier to make than you think and we have a great selection for you to make here.
The Tom Collins is thought of as an American, more specifically, a New York classic. However, there is a less well known story from the early 1800s that could be real origin of this recipe. It involves a bartender named John Collins and his dangerously delicious Limmer’s Gin Punch named after the bawdy, Dickensian London hotel of the same name.
As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
@Candra_Drinks #MakeBetterDrinks #CandraDrinks
