Vodka Collins

There's so many Collins drinks out there, but this one seems as if it fits the the general rule. I'm increasingly finding that a Collins glass is not sufficient to hold a Collins drink. That's because a three ounce pour of vodka, plus sugar syrup and lemon, plus ice leaves little room for soda. I grabbed a beer pint instead, and that worked out pretty well.

• 3 oz. vodka (Smirnoff 57 used)
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. sugar syrup
• sparkling water
• maraschino cherry
• orange slice

Combine vodka, sugar syrup and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a chilled Collins glass (pint pictured). Top with sparkling water and garnish with fruit. 

Gin Fizz & Gin Cooler

There are a lot of similar gin cocktails out there since the beginning of the Fizz, Collins, and Fix assimilation of the late 19th century. These are two that are nearly identical. A Fizz is exactly what it sound like: drink with gin, lemon and soda. It is less potent than the Tom Collins, which has three ounces of gin and is designed to get you drunk quickly.

The Gin Fizz (left) is a nice refresher on a hot day. Made almost like the Tom Collins according to the recipe below.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sugar
• sparkling water

Combine gin, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water.

The Gin Cooler (right) is part of a more nebulous group of drinks (some that use mint and some that use sparkling water or juices) designed to chill the blood on hot days. Make it like this, without a shaker.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• sparkling water
• lemon peel

Mix gin and sugar in the bottom of a Collins glass without ice until sugar dissolves. Add ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with the lemon peel. 
 

Tom Collins

The original Collins is the gin fortified Tom Collins. This cocktail was known in the old days to be a very potent drink--though now it is regarded as gentle summer sipping. That is because it used to be part of a family of cocktails known as fizzes and flips. These drinks were served without ice and were intended to be drunk in one gulp: eggwhite, soda, lemon and all. This practice continued when egg white was ommited, ice was left in and the glass was filled to the top with soda. So people used to down a Tom Collins on command (when people at the bar ordered you one as a bit of a joke), and the three ounces of gin and all that soda made sure you were pretty tipsy.

Nowadays people seldom do the cherry and orange slice for garnishes, partly because it is a lemon juice drink and doesn't require orange or cherry in the cocktail itself. The Tom Collins has always been about simplicity and speedy drink making, so do what suits you according to your bar requirements and preferences.

• 3 oz. gin
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. sugar syrup
• club soda
• maraschino cherry
• orange slice

Combine gin, juice and sugar in a highball glass full of ice. Top with soda and stir. Garnish with fruit (lemon slice shown).