The following is an online extra from our June 2020 issue.
Tom Collins at Fuzzy Cactus (Photo by Jay Paul)
Dating as far back as “1876 Bar-tender’s Guide,” written by "father of American mixology" Jerry Thomas, the Tom Collins is a certified classic. This sparkling, gin-spiked lemonade libation is also the perfect way to brighten a summer porch session.
To make, begin with equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup until you reach a desired balance of flavors. Then shake or build in a tall Collins glass and top with soda.
Katey Damian of Rappahannock says, “The most important part about making cocktails at home is using fresh-squeezed citrus.”
As for gin, Thomas used Bols Genever, a malty and less juniper-heavy Dutch precursor. The cocktail’s next phase of popularity called on Ransom Old Tom gin, a sweeter, barrel-aged version, while nowadays, most bartenders use a London Dry-style. At Fuzzy Cactus, Paul Kirk typically turns to Gordon’s, but if he wants something sweeter, he reaches for Barr Hill, a satin-smooth, honey-based gin.
Since the cocktail renaissance, craft bartenders have debated whether to shake a Tom Collins before adding soda.
Thomas’ original was not shaken, but palates ran much drier back then, and some bartenders can’t get behind the idea of serving citrus without shaking — unaerated lemon juice can taste oily and flat.
On the other hand, shaking with ice always risks overdilution when lengthening with soda, and an overshaken Tom Collins is horrible and heartbreaking.
Brenner Pass Bar Manager Shannon Hood makes a mashup of a Tom Collins and a margarita dubbed Mar-gins. Her rule? Never shake. “Shaking just overdilutes the drink, every time,” she says.
Frankly, an unbiased poll on shaking would most likely tally 50/50 results. The only way to know for sure is a side-by-side comparison, so experiment responsibly.
My own compromise is to shake the ingredients dry without ice, then pour over ice in a Collins glass and top with soda.
Classic Tom Collins Substitutions
Subtitute lime for lemon = Gin Rickey
No soda = Sour
More soda = Fizz
Ginger beer = Buck
Tom Collins Recipes
Tom Collins
Katey Damian, Rappahannock
1 1/2 ounces The Botanist Islay Dry gin
1 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar and water)
Shake and strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Top with Q club soda.
Next level: Top with a flavored LaCroix.
Tom Collins
Paul Kirk, Fuzzy Cactus
1 1/2 ounces Gordon’s gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce turbinado syrup (1:1)
Shake hard, 8-12 seconds, and strain into a Collins glass. Add fresh ice and top with high-carbonation soda. Garnish with a cherry and an orange twist.
Next level: Add an egg white for a silky mouthfeel.
Mar-gins
Shannon Hood, Brenner Pass
2 ounces London Dry gin
1 ounce rosemary-infused Cointreau
3/4 ounce lime juice
Sprig of rosemary
Build over 1-inch cubes in a Collins glass and stir briefly. Top with soda. Garnish with rosemary.
Next level: Freeze rosemary into the ice for what Hood calls an eye-catching, “super-easy way to dress up your home bar.”
