How to Make a Tom Collins: Classic Tom Collins Cocktail Recipe

Jerry Thomas, considered the father of American mixology, first made written mention of the drink in 1876. Various other bartending books of the late 1800s mention the Tom Collins cocktail, but there are conflicting reports regarding the exact origin of the drink.

The famous Tom Collins hoax of 1874 involved a practical joke: Someone would tell their friend that a rude and unsavory man, Tom Collins, was saying terrible things about them. The prankster would then persuade their friend to confront this Tom Collins at a bar, where they would find no such person, but instead an alcoholic beverage by the same name. Newspapers propagated the prank, even printing stories about fabled Tom Collins sightings. The prank became so famous that songs were written about it, some of which have been memorialized in the U.S. Library of Congress.

There are a few variations on the Tom Collins:

1. 1. Vodka Collins: Swapping out the gin with vodka will make it a vodka Collins.
2. 2. Juan Collins: This version replaces gin with tequila and the lemon juice with lime juice.
3. 3. Summer Collins: This is another variation consisting only of gin and lemonade.