Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is a build-and-top drink, but the base needs to be shaken — not built directly in the glass. Shaking the gin, lemon, and syrup together properly integrates the citrus and chills the base before the soda goes in. Add the soda last and stir gently; aggressive stirring kills the carbonation.

Fresh lemon juice is non-negotiable. Bottled lemon juice produces a flat, one-dimensional drink. The ratio of lemon to syrup should be roughly 4:3 — slightly more tart than sweet. If your lemons are particularly acidic, nudge the syrup up to 1 oz. The gin should be a London Dry or a herbal contemporary — something with enough backbone to hold up against the citrus.

The Tom Collins dates to the 1870s and is named after a popular hoax of the era — the 'Tom Collins Hoax' of 1874, where people were told a man named Tom Collins was spreading rumors about them at a nearby bar. The drink itself predates the hoax and appears in Jerry Thomas's 1876 bartending guide as a variation on the John Collins (which uses genever instead of gin).

Elderflower Collins

Replace the simple syrup with ¾ oz of St-Germain elderflower liqueur. The floral sweetness pairs beautifully with a New Western gin like Hendrick's or The Botanist — this is a more elegant, aromatic version of the classic.

John Collins

The original — swap the gin for 2 oz of Old Tom gin or genever. The slightly sweeter, maltier base gives the drink a rounder, more old-fashioned character. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.