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Learn how to make this simple and CLASSIC Tom Collins drink that’s a delicious and refreshing mix of of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda! Such a simple yet enjoyable cocktail that I know you’re going to love!

tom collins cocktail in a tall glass with ice and garnished with a lemon wedge and dark cherry. Liquor bottles in the background this recipe

Hopefully you’ve been catching all of my classic cocktail recipes that I’ve been posting lately. I’ve been doing about 1 new cocktail/ week and it’s been so fun to go back to the basics and learn to make some of the most beloved cocktails around!

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In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a HUGE (huge) gin fan, especially lately and I’m especially excited about this Tom Collins.

tom collins cocktail in a tall glass with ice and garnished with a lemon wedge and dark cherry. Liquor bottles in the background. hand placing the cherry on top of the drink

The origin of the Tom Collins is a little murky and even with a bit of research, I learned that there’s no clear answer where the drink came from. It’s widely believed to have originated in England by a man named JOHN Collins. However, there’s no actual evidence of that.

One of the other popular stories behind this classic cocktail is that people would walk around New York City telling their friends that a man named Tom Collins was spreading rumors about them. Those people would then go looking for this Tom Collins in a bar where he was said to be in spreading those rumors. When asked where Tom Collins was, the person would instead by handed a gin drink similar to this Tom Collins Cocktail. This one is known as the Hoax of 1874 and as random as it is, I like it :)

side shot of a tom collins (clear liquid) in a tall glass filled with ice and garnished with lemon wedge and dark cherry

Here the the ingredients in a Tom Collins:

  • Gin– obviously any gin will work in this recipe but I REALLY love Malfy con Limone for this!
  • Lemon Juice
  • Simple Syrup– HERE is my simple recipe for simple syrup. I include lots of different ways to flavor it including lavender, rosemary, raspberry etc!
  • Club soda– I’ve also tried this with flavored sparkling water and really like it!
ingredients in front of a white background for tom collins: gin, lemon, cherries, simple syrup, and club soda

That’s all for today! Keeping it SHORT and sweet as I like to do for cocktail posts :)

As usual, if you end up making this cocktail, please come back and let me know how you like it. Or tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I always love to see what y’all are cooking from the blog.

tom collins cocktail in a tall glass with ice and garnished with a lemon wedge and dark cherry. Liquor bottles in the background

More Classic Cocktails:

tom collins cocktail in a tall glass with ice and garnished with a lemon wedge and dark cherry. Liquor bottles in the background

Classic Tom Collins Recipe

Learn how to make a classic Tom Collins drink!
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Course: Cocktail
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories:
Author: Brita Britnell

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces of gin
  • 1 ounce of lemon juice
  • .5 ounces of simple syrup
  • 3 ounces of club soda or sparkling water I usually fill my glass up (for photos please use club soda)
  • Garnish with lemon and maraschino cherry

Instructions

  • In a mixer or shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, lemon, and simple syrup. Mix to combine until the drink is nice and cold.
  • Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and top with club soda. Garish with lemon and cherry.