The Tom Collins is a classic gin cocktail with lots of history. We’ve been enjoying Tom Collins cocktails since the late 1800’s. The first published recipe appears in Harry Johnson's 1882 book, New and Improved Bartender’s Manual or How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style. If you’re interested in cocktail history (and the related social context), there's a delightful history of the Tom Collins, including The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874. (And here we thought going viral was specific to the world of social media.)
Our Tom Collins recipe is reasonably faithful to the original. We created a house-made lemon cordial that deepens the flavors and pairs wonderfully with our Native Colorado Gin. This is a beautiful cocktail, and we use several different vintage Collins glasses and take care with the garnish to create a ‘wow’ reaction when served. It’s a great warm weather party drink. Have some fun with it – and send us photos of your own Tom Collins art pieces!
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Dry Land Distillers Gin
- 1 oz Lemon Cordial
- ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 10 Drops House Bitters
- Soda Water
- Confectioner’s Sugar (for Dusting)
Garnish: Float House Bitters on the Top and Garnish with a Full Lemon Wheel
Glassware: Tall Collins Glass
Directions
- Combine the Gin, Cordial, Fresh Lemon Juice, and Orange Bitters in a shaker with ice.
- Shake until cold.
- Double-strain into a tall Collins glass with ice.
- Float House Bitters on the top.
- Garnish with the lemon wheel (vertically in the glass, not floated) and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
- Serve with a straw.
Dry Land Lemon Cordial
- Peel of 10 Lemons (Include pith)
- 4 ½ Cups White Cane Sugar
- 2 oz of Dry Land Base Spirit (or your Favorite Local Vodka)
- Combine all ingredients in large container; stir; let sit overnight (12 hours min). The mixture will be sticky and thick – the sugar won’t fully dissolve (that’s ok).
- Juice the peeled lemons and save the juice for the next step. (You’ll want about 4 cups of fresh lemon juice.)
- The next day: Add 4 Cups Fresh Lemon Juice to your infusion. Mix until sugar is fully dissolved. Fine strain the infusion and bottle. This cordial is shelf stable for up to 1 week, or stable for 1+ month in the refrigerator.
