John Collins
The original Collins cocktail: bourbon or rye whiskey brightened with fresh lemon, sweetened, and topped with soda water.
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
- Soda water, to top
- Lemon wheel and maraschino cherry, to garnish
Instructions
- 1Add bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
- 2Shake until well chilled.
- 3Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice, top with soda water, and garnish with a lemon wheel and cherry.
Origin & Story
The John Collins predates its more famous sibling the Tom Collins — named after its original spirit, Old Tom gin, the John Collins used genever or whiskey. It first appeared in print in Steele's 1869 guide and takes its name from the head waiter at a London hotel named John Collins, who popularized the format. The whiskey version remains the closest to that original recipe.
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