TOM COLLINS
The Tom Collins: The 1870s Hoax That Became a Legendary Cocktail
The Tom Collins has its roots in the "Great Tom Collins Hoax" of 1874, when a practical joke spread through New York City. People would tell their friends that a man named Tom Collins was in a nearby bar spreading terrible rumors about them. The victim would rush to the bar looking for this Tom Collins, only to find he didn't exist. Bartenders, tired of angry patrons demanding to see Tom Collins, eventually started serving them a drink by that name instead.
However, the cocktail itself likely predates the hoax. The drink appears to be an American adaptation of the John Collins, a gin punch that was popular in London in the early 1800s and named after a headwaiter at Limmer's Hotel. The John Collins traditionally used Old Tom gin, a sweeter style of gin popular in the 19th century, and some believe "Tom Collins" simply became shorthand for a John Collins made with Old Tom gin.
Regardless of its exact origin, by the 1880s the Tom Collins had become a standard cocktail in American bars. The drink is essentially a sparkling gin sour, combining gin with fresh lemon juice and sugar, then lengthening it with soda water. This makes it refreshing and less intense than a straight sour while maintaining the balance of sweet and tart.
The Tom Collins became a warm-weather staple because the soda water and ice make it incredibly refreshing. The drink's simplicity means it can be made quickly, which contributed to its popularity in busy bars. By the early 20th century, it had become one of the most commonly ordered cocktails in America.
The cocktail works because the lemon provides tartness, the sugar balances it, the gin adds botanical complexity, and the soda water creates effervescence and dilution that makes it easy to drink.
RECIPE:
2 oz gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
2-3 oz soda water
Lemon wheel and cherry for garnish
Method:
Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to shaker with ice
Shake well until chilled
Strain into ice-filled Collins glass
Top with soda water
Stir gently once
Garnish with lemon wheel or peel