Origins: The Tom Collins

Tom Collins

(with starfruit and cucumber garnishes)

This refreshing summer drink owes its name to a 19th century hoax. In 1874, hundreds of New Yorkers heard some bad news while they were out on the town: a certain Tom Collins had been besmirching their good names. Although these people didn't know Mr. Collins, they were outraged that he would slander them, and they often set out to find the rascal. Of course, the root of the hoax was that there wasn't really a Tom Collins, but that didn't keep aggrieved parties from searching him out. To deepen the joke, bartenders started making the citrus cocktail that now bears the name, so when searchers asked for Tom Collins, they could instead find a thirst-quenching long drink. (Mental Floss)

Esquire Magazine tells a different story (who knows?) In any case, the Tom Collins has on its side tradition—it turns up in the 1877 Bon Vivant's Companion, by Jerry Thomas, the George Washington of American mixology—and simple elegance. Few drinks are as refreshing on a summer afternoon.And the name? Step one: A certain John Collins, a waiter at Limmer's Old House on London's Hanover Square, gets his name hitched to a drink with lemon, sugar, soda, and Holland gin. Step two: Some bright spark makes same with Old Tom gin and changes the name accordingly.

Recipe

2 oz. London dry gin

1 tsp. superfine sugar

1/2 oz. lemon juice

Club Soda

Collins glass

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients in a Collins glass 3/4 full of cracked ice.
2. Stir briefly, top with club soda or seltzer, garnish with lemon circle, and serve with stirring rod.

As for those cousins: To make a Gin Fizz, shake the gin, sugar, and lemon juice well with cracked ice, pour into a chilled Collins glass—no ice—and fizz to the top. To make a Gin Rickey, squeeze half a (well-washed) lime into a Collins glass full of ice, tip in 1 teaspoon superfine sugar, stir, pour in 2 ounces London dry gin, throw in the squeezed-out lime half, and top with bubbly water of choice. You may, if you wish, also add a dash of grenadine for color.
The Collins treatment works well with other liquors: common are the Whiskey Collins or John Collins, which is self-explanatory, and the Rum Collins (light rum) or Charlie Collins (Jamaican rum), which are usually made with lime juice instead of lemon and to which a couple dashes of Angostura bitters are often added. See also the Brandy Fizz.

The Wondrich Take:

Along with its kissin' cousins, the Gin Rickey and the Gin Fizz, this classic formula hasn't been getting much exercise of late. Maybe the nasty tang of bottled Collins/Sour mix has poisoned virgin taste buds, depriving it of the young addicts a cocktail needs to survive. Or maybe it's just a sign of the swath tonic water has cut through summer drinks since its introduction back in the '30s.