Have you seen Tom Collins? No? You don’t know who he is? Well, you should because he’s been tarnishing your good reputation all over town! That was the beginning of a practical joke going around New York and Philadelphia in 1874. After hearing that Tom Collins was spreading lies all over town about them, men would go into bars looking for a fight and Tom Collins (who didn’t exist). They would then be presented with the Tom Collins drink and hilarity would ensue. The man fooled would then become the new representative of the funny joke. This viral joke spread so much it was called “The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874”
But how did this refreshing antique cocktail really get started? The earliest reports claim it all started by a man named John Collins, who was a headwaiter at Limmers Old House, a popular hotel in London around 1790-1817. The John Collins had all the ingredients of a Tom Collins except originally used a different liquor called genever (a sweet spirt from Holland made out of juniper) instead of gin. By 1869, Old Tom Gin was used instead of genever and the Tom Collins drink was born. The John Collins was then revamped using whiskey instead of gin.
So, I am presenting BOTH recipes because you can’t have Tom Collins without paying homage to John Collins. Enjoy!
Tom Collins
Ingredients-Serves 1
1 1/2 oz Gin
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup *boil 1 cup water to 1 cup sugar, stir and let cool
Club soda
1 orange slice and maraschino cherry for garnish
Directions
1.Fill tall glass with ice.
2. Pour Gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into glass over ice and stir. You can also use a shaker or jar with ice and shake to combine, strain over ice in glass.
3. Fill glass with club soda and stir again gently.
4. Thinly slice an orange into a wheel shape and cut in half. Make a slit from center to end, twist into a spiral shape and place in glass. Top with a cherry. Add a straw.
John Collins
Repeat steps 1-4 above but instead of Gin use Bourbon Whiskey. You can use any type of whiskey, but Bourbon Whiskey is best for the John Collins. Bourbon will give it the classic sweet notes of oak and vanilla. Cheers!
Both recipes are Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten Free.
Please drink responsibly and please don’t drink and drive.
