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Gin · Highball · Citrusy

Tom Collins Recipe

Tall, bright, and built for a warm evening — gin, lemon, soda, done.

Prep Time
1.5 min
Method
Stirred
Glass
Collins glass
Strength
Light

Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.

Last updated September 20, 2026

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About the Tom Collins

Named after an 1874 prank craze — the "Tom Collins Hoax." The drink predates the joke by decades under a different name, the John Collins, made with genever.

Tom Collins cocktail served in a Collins glass
Ingredients for a Tom Collins: Gin, Fresh lemon juice, Simple syrup laid out on a home kitchen counter

Ingredients

Servings
1
  • Gin2 oz
  • Fresh lemon juice¾ oz
  • Simple syrup½ oz
  • Soda water3 oz , to top

Method

  1. Measure and pour the gin, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup into the shaker.
  2. Add a scoop of ice to the shaker.
  3. Shake for 15 seconds.
  4. Strain the cocktail into a Collins glass with fresh ice.
  5. Top with soda water.
  6. Stir once gently.
Stirring the Tom Collins into a chilled collins glass
Close-up of the garnish on a Tom Collins, expressed over the glass

Glass & Garnish

Collins glass, full of ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.

Notes

Add soda last and stir gently. Garnish with lemon wheel and cherry. Pairs well with salted nuts.

Tools Used

Affiliate links

Cocktail shakerJiggerBar spoonHawthorne strainerFine strainerLuxardo Maraschino CherriesCocktail pickCollins glass

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