The Tom Collins is a fine old drink—cocktail writer David Wondrich notes how it turns up (in a slightly different form) in Jerry Thomas’s seminal Bon Vivant’s Companion of 1877. Wondrich cites the drink’s “simple elegance”: just gin, lemon juice, and sugar, topped off with fizzy water.
What to buy: Finely milled superfine sugar dissolves rapidly, avoiding any risk of graininess in the finished drink.
- Yield: 1 drink
- Difficulty: Easy
- Total: Under 5 mins
- Active: Under 5 mins
Ingredients (6)
- Ice cubes
- 2 ounces London dry gin
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
- 4 ounces club soda, chilled
- 1 thin lemon slice, for garnishing
Instructions
- Drop a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and add the gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds. Pour into a chilled collins glass filled with ice cubes.
- Add the club soda to the glass, give it a quick stir, garnish with the lemon slice, and serve.
