Tom Collins

The Tom Collins cocktail was originated in 1876, supposedly as a response to “The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874,” a popular (albeit silly) prank that would send people on a fruitless chase to find the nonexistent “Tom Collins” in order to stop him from slandering their name. A simple concoction made with gin, lemon juice and sugar, the drink was based on the John Collins (named after its creator), first served in London in 1869.

Tom Collins

A simple, classic cocktail made with gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar.

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• Author: Lynne Webb
• Yield: 1 serving
• Category: Drinks

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• 2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons superfine sugar (see tip)
• Club soda
• Lemon slices and wheel for garnish

Instructions

1. Stir the lemon juice and sugar together in a cocktail shaker until the sugar dissolves. Fill the shaker with ice, add the gin and shake. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda, add lemon slices and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Superfine sugar (sometimes called caster or baking sugar) is granulated sugar that's been ground to a finer texture for easier mixing. If you can't find it, simply process 1 cup of regular granulated sugar in a food processor until the crystals are finely ground – 45 seconds to 1 minute should do it. Use what you need and store the rest in a tightly covered container.