Tom Collins Cocktail recipe
Rating
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
The Tom Collins is a bright, sparkling gin sour that lands somewhere between a lemonade and a long drink, built for easy sipping. You’ll often hear it linked to the 1870s “Great Tom Collins Hoax,” a practical-joke craze that helped cement the name in popular culture, while the drink itself also sits in the wider Collins family of tall, citrusy cocktails. However you trace it, it endures because it takes the classic sour template and stretches it into something lighter, longer, and effortlessly refreshing.
Expect gin’s crisp botanicals to lead, sharpened by the clean tang of lemon juice. Sugar or simple syrup smooths the edges, rounding the citrus into a balanced sweet‑tart core, while soda water lifts everything with fizz and dilution so the flavours stay bright rather than heavy. The result is zesty, lightly sweet, and brisk, with the gin staying present all the way through.
Serve it in a highball glass when you want something cooling and uncomplicated—ideal for warm afternoons, casual get-togethers, or as a pre-dinner palate opener. It suits you if you like gin but don’t want a spirit-forward drink, and it’s a reliable choice for guests who enjoy citrus, sparkle, and a clean finish.
Microbadges
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Tags
Cocktail Colin says:
Gin leads with crisp botanicals brightened by lemon juice, while sugar/simple syrup rounds the tart edge and soda water lifts everything into a clean, sparkling, lemonade-like sip. It works because the citrus-sweet balance keeps the gin expressive without turning sharp, and the bubbles make it dangerously refreshing for anyone who likes light, zesty highballs.
Method
How to make a Tom Collins
- Gin 45ml, Lemon juice 30ml, Soda water 60ml, Sugar / simple syrup 15ml
-
- Add all the ingredients except the soda into a highball glass with ice
-
- Stir and top up with the soda
-
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a lemon slice and serve
Power tips
Elevate the Tom Collins with these master mixologist tips
Upgrade to premium
And receive world class tips on how to raise your cocktails to the next level.
Find out more- Use a high-quality gin with a pronounced botanical flavor to enhance the complexity of the Tom Collins.
- Chill the highball glass before preparing the cocktail to keep the drink colder for longer and to prevent dilution.
- Upgrade to premium to receive even more power tips on this cocktail.
Your private tasting notes
Featured in
FAQ's
What is the history behind the Tom Collins cocktail?
The Tom Collins is a cocktail that was first recorded in the second half of the 19th century and is believed to have originated in England. The drink gained popularity in the United States and is associated with a bit of a practical joke known as 'The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874', where people would tell others that a man named Tom Collins was speaking ill of them in another establishment, prompting them to go in search of this nonexistent person. The name stuck and became associated with this refreshing gin-based cocktail.
Can I use another type of citrus instead of lemon juice in a Tom Collins?
While lemon juice is the traditional citrus used in a Tom Collins, you can certainly experiment with other types of citrus for a different flavor profile. Lime juice can be used for a sharper taste, or orange juice for a sweeter, milder cocktail. However, modifying the type of citrus will create a variation of the classic recipe and may alter the original taste significantly.
Is there a non-alcoholic version of a Tom Collins?
Yes, a non-alcoholic version of a Tom Collins, often called a 'Virgin Tom Collins' or 'No-Gin Tom Collins', can be made by omitting the gin and increasing the volumes of the other ingredients slightly to maintain the balance of flavors. Additionally, a non-alcoholic spirit designed to mimic the flavor of gin can be used as a substitute for a more authentic taste.
What is the significance of using a highball glass for a Tom Collins?
The highball glass is tall and narrow, which makes it perfect for cocktails that are served with a large proportion of non-alcoholic mixer, like the Tom Collins. It allows for the right balance of ice, mixer, and spirit, ensuring that the drink is well-diluted, properly mixed, and keeps its carbonation. The shape also makes it easy to hold and adds to the aesthetic appeal of the cocktail.
How does the alcohol content in a Tom Collins compare to other cocktails?
The Tom Collins has an alcohol content of about 12%, placing it in the medium range for alcoholic strength in cocktails. It's less potent than straight spirits or more spirit-forward cocktails like Martinis or Manhattans, which can have alcohol contents upwards of 30%, but stronger than lighter cocktails like a Mimosa. This makes the Tom Collins a refreshing choice that can be enjoyed over a longer period without becoming too intoxicating too quickly.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Access to Cocktail Colin; ask Cocktail Colin anything on an individual cocktail and he'll give you the answers you need.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out moreYou might also like
Try this lavender-infused champagne cocktail
Lavender French 75
Gin, Champagne / prosecco, Lemon juice, Lavender syrup
Enjoy this bold balance of gin and Campari
Negroni
Gin, Campari, Red vermouth
Discover this festive mix of gin and mincemeat
Mince pie martini
Gin, Dark rum, Red vermouth, Sugar, Mincemeat
Try this zesty gin and grapefruit blend
Old Acquaintance
Gin, Pink grapefruit juice, Lime juice, Sugar / simple syrup
Create a cocktail
Choose a theme and some ingredients, give us some description and we'll create an amazing cocktail for you.
Register as a Premium Make Me a Cocktail community member and get access to an even more powerful creator.
Start creatingBuild your bar
Tell us what you have at home and we’ll find a delicious cocktail for you to make right now.
Register as a Make Me a Cocktail community member and we’ll save your ingredients list so you can come back to it at any time.
Create My Bar
Cocktail Colin
Your cocktail expert
Hi! I'm Cocktail Colin
Ask me anything about this cocktail - how to make it, substitutions, variations, or any other questions!
Become a member to access Cocktail Colin
Become a member (for free) to pick Cocktail Colin's cocktail filled brain on everything on this cocktail, from substitutions, if you can use what you have, to serving suggestions and more.
Become a member
Comments