If you love gin then you have more than likely had a Tom Collins before, if you haven’t then you must have heard of it. The first Tom Collins recipe was a simple mix of gin, lemon and sugar syrup, shaken over ice. Today, there are many variations of this recipe yet, they all somehow hang onto the original flavour.
Making the perfect Tom Collins at home is easy if you stick to our essential tips. Keep reading today to learn all the necessary techniques you’ll need to master the recipe. Vemacity have even thrown in a few creative suggestions for contemporary twists on this classic drink.
Choose your gin
Historically a Tom Collis is made with Old Tom gin which has a sweeter taste than dry gin, but this cocktail actually works really well with lots of different types of gin. If you want to stick to the traditional cocktail then you can use Old Tom gin or any other classic gin such as Tanqueray Bombay or Beefeater will do the job too.
If you want to mix things up slightly then why not try a flavoured gin, such as an orange gin, for a slightly different take on the cocktail? Swap your lemon juice for orange juice for a modern take on this classic cocktail.
Ensure you shake (a lot)
Some cocktails you can get away with not using a shaker but if you really want a good Tom Collins then you’re going to need one. Add the syrup, juice and gin to a cocktail shaker, of course with ice, and shake away.
Shaking not only mixes the ingredients together to bring out all of the flavours but it also adds air bubbles to the cocktail and cools the mixture down so that it’s nice and cold when you pour it into your glass.
Go heavy on the ice
For the majority of cocktails, you expect a glass full of ice and a Tom Collins is no different. There is nothing worse than a lukewarm, watered-down drink with a few sad ice cubes bobbing at the top of the glass.
To make the perfect Tom Collins, you’re going to need a lot of ice. Fill both your cocktail shaker and also your glasses right up to the top with ice. If you can, keep your glasses chilled prior to using them, so your cocktail stays cold for as long as possible.
Pick the right glass
The Tom Collins is one of the few classic cocktails that has lent its name to a piece of glassware. If you order this drink in a cocktail bar you would expect it to be served in a Collins glass. They are taller and thinner than a highball and are designed specifically for this long drink.
Not everyone has one of these luxury gin glasses in the cupboard and if you don’t, you can either recreate the effect by picking the tallest thinnest glass in your cabinet or even mix things up again. Choose a high-quality gin glass, no matter the shape and just ensure you keep it cool, the drink will still have the desired effect.
Try fresh citrus
So many different cocktails require a citrus juice and trust us when we say that fresh citrus is always better than a bottled version. It is so easy for you to do at home too, all you need to do is squeeze the fruit you are using prior to mixing it into the cocktail.
If you frequently make gin cocktails then it may be worth picking up a hand juicer to make the process even easier. Of course, you can then use the peel of the fruit as a garnish to your drink so there is no waste.
The perfect Tom Collins
Thankfully a Tom Collins is a relatively easy cocktail to make, mix 60ml of gin with 30ml of juice and 20ml of syrup before topping with soda water is the key to this cocktail. Using the tips we have mentioned above will only make it better. We can guarantee that once you have tried making this cocktail at home you will have a new go-to gin drink.
If you know anyone else that loves gin as much as you do then why not get together for a cocktail making night and try all of the classics? Bring out the large gin glasses and your gin accessories and have some fun with some of the most loved gin cocktails.