Tom Collins cocktail in a tall glass.

Tom Collins Cocktails

The Tom Collins cocktails are widely popular and are best enjoyed as a sipping drink, and are not for the sole purpose of getting drunk. The first recipe for Tom Collins was first written down in 1876 by American mixologist Jerry Thomas. Tom Collins made with vodka is known as a Vodka Collins. The Tom Collins drink is an official International Bartenders Association cocktail drink.

Tom Collins Cocktails

Tom Collins

Recipe for Tom Collins: Beefeater gin and sweet and sour mix topped with club soda.

If you prefer a sweeter cocktail add a drop of simple syrup. Stir and garnish with the cherry and the orange slice. Serve it up.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

Raspberry Collins

Absolut vodka with lemon juice, sugar, raspberry liqueur and raspberry purée topped with tonic water.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

John Collins

Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey with sweet and sour mix topped with soda water.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

Mango Collins

Your choice of Beefeater gin or Absolut vodka with lemon juice, sugar, mango liqueur and mango purée topped with soda water.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

White Peach Collins

Beefeater gin with lemon juice, sugar, peach schnapps and white peach purée topped with carbonated water.

Shake the ingredients with cracked ice then pour into a highball glass over the ice. Top up with carbonated water.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

Strawberry Collins

Absolut vodka with lemon juice, sugar, fraise des bois and strawberry purée topped with seltzer water.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

Lychee Collins

Beefeater gin with lemon juice, sugar, lychee liqueur and lychee purée topped with tonic water.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

Best Tom Collins

  • 60 ml gin
  • 60 ml lemon juice
  • 30 ml simple syrup
  • 1 dash bitters
  • ice cubes
  • cold club soda
  • 1 slice lemon for garnish
  • 1 maraschino cherry

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the gin, lemon juice, syrup and a dash of bitters. Cover and shake until the outside of the container is frosty, about 15 seconds. Strain into a highball glass full of ice. Top off with soda water and garnish with a lemon slice and maraschino cherry.

Type of recipe: Tom Collins Cocktails

Tom Collins Ingredients

Lychee or leechi, litchi, laichi, lichu, lizhi, soapberry is a soapy tasting fruit native to Southern China and Southeast Asia.

Absolut Vodka has a rich flavour, is smooth and mellow with a distinct character of grain. Introduced in 1979.

Beefeater gin was created in 1820 by James Burrough. Beefeater gin is the only premium London Dry Gin to still be distilled in London. Beefeater is never less than 40% alcohol as reducing the alcoholic strength adversley affects the taste.

Sweet and Sour Mix is made from sugar and lemon or lime juices. Pre mixed Sweet and Sour Mix can be found in almost anywhere spirits are sold.

Tom Collins Cocktails are served with lemon slice, cherry and a straw. A Tom Collins glass is a long narrow tumbler, usually taller than a highball glass. Tom Collins the Cocktail: "Who needs rules when it comes to drinks?"

Mixing instructions for refreshing Collins. Tom Collins coctails are favourite bar drinks, not too sweet, but not too sour either.