Summary
The Tom Collins is a fine old drink—cocktail writer David Wondrich notes how it turns up (in a slightly different form) in Jerry Thomas’s seminal Bon Vivant’s Companion of 1877. Wondrich cites the drink’s “simple elegance”: just gin, lemon juice, and sugar, topped off with fizzy water.
What to buy: Finely milled superfine sugar dissolves rapidly, avoiding any risk of graininess in the finished drink.
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 2 ounces London dry gin
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
- 4 ounces club soda, chilled
- 1 thin lemon slice, for garnishing