Oddly enough, the Tom Collins started as a wide-spread prank which took New York by storm. The prank would start with the question "Have you seen Tom Collins?", the prankster would then proceed to say that a man named Tom Collins is going around town talking badly about the victim in order to irritate them enough and have them go look for this fictitous man. The joke wasn't exactly sophisticated but became all the rage in New York and Philadephia and gained such notoriety that it was named the Tom Collins Hoax of 1874. In an opportunistic marketing move, a bartender took advantage of the joke so that whenever someone asked if they could find Tom Collins at his bar, he could reply affirmatively and prepare the drink with gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and soda.
But before the hoax, there was already another Collins, John Collins made with genever, a Dutch gin, and since then the Collins family has expanded and seen plenty of variations, from the rum-based Charlie Collins to the Vodka Collins and the Whisky Collins. The collins has become such an iconic cocktail that it gave its name to a type of glass (highball).
Vodka Collins Recipes
Citrus
Wild Berry
Blackberry
Citrus
Belvedere Citrus Collins
45 mL Belvedere Citrus Vodka
20 mL grapefruit juice
15 mL honey
Club soda
Garnish: lemon wedge
Glass: Highball glass
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with cubed ice. Strain over fresh ice into a highball glass.
Top with soda and garnish with a lemon wedge.
Wild Berry
Belvedere Wild Berry Collins
45 mL BelvedereVodka
20 mL lemon juice
30 mL simple syrup
30 mL cranberry juice
60 mL club soda
Garnish: berries
Glass: Highball glass
Combine all ingredients, except club soda, in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake well and strain into an iced glass.
Top with club soda, stir and garnish with 3 berries.
Blackberry
Belvedere Blackberry Collins
45 mL Belvedere Vodka
20 mL fresh lemon juice
20 mL simple syrup
90 mL ginger beer
4-5 blackberries
Garnish: blackberry and mint sprig
Glass: Highball glass
Place blackberries into shaker and muddle.
Add remaining ingredients except ginger beer.
Shake, strain into glass, and top with ginger beer.
