The John Collins recipe
the oldest Collins
Fill a highball glass to the brim with ice cubes.
Pour the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup over the ice.
Top up with 6 cl cold soda water.
Stir gently twice from the bottom up with a bar spoon, so everything combines without losing the fizz.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a maraschino cherry.
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The story
The John Collins is the oldest of the Collins family. The name is attributed to John Collins, head waiter at Limmer's Old House on Conduit Street in London, a hotel and coffee house that was popular from around 1790 to 1817. A rhyme by Frank and Charles Sheridan begins with the line 'My name is John Collins, head waiter at Limmer's'. The drink itself resembled the gin punch served in London clubs at the time: gin, lemon, sugar and cold soda water. When bartenders began using Old Tom gin, a sweeter style of gin, the name Tom Collins became popular, and in the United States that became the common name. The IBA recognizes both: John Collins with regular gin, Tom Collins with Old Tom.
The right glass
You build a John Collins in a tall, straight highball glass; in English, such a glass is even called a Collins glass. A glass holding 33 to 47 cl provides room for plenty of ice and 15 cl of drink, and its narrow shape keeps the carbonation in longer than a wide glass. The more ice, the slower it melts, so fill the glass right to the rim. See our highball glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Highball Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a John Collins, besides the glass, you need a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus juicer and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Stirring sticks neatly fill a highball glass
Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 153,75.
What do you make a John Collins with?
For a John Collins, you need gin. Well-known bottles include Gordon's, Tanqueray No. Ten, and Hendrick's. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
We follow the IBA and build the drink in the glass. Many bars briefly shake the gin, lemon, and sugar with ice first, then top up with soda; this produces a colder, slightly cloudier drink. With Old Tom gin, it is a Tom Collins. In the United States, the name John Collins is sometimes also used for a version with bourbon, which is close to an extended Whiskey Sour. Add cream and egg white and shake for longer, and it becomes a Ramos Gin Fizz.
Serving tip
Add the soda water last, using a bottle that has just come out of the fridge: the colder the soda, the better it retains its carbonation. A small 20 cl bottle is more convenient than a one-litre bottle that loses its fizz after just one glass.
Good to know
Difference between John Collins and Tom Collins
According to the IBA, the only difference is the gin. You make a John Collins with regular gin, in practice a London Dry. For a Tom Collins, you use Old Tom gin, a slightly sweeter and fuller style that was common in the nineteenth century. The proportions of lemon, sugar, and soda remain the same. Historically, the John Collins came first, and the name Tom Collins emerged with the popularity of Old Tom. In many bars, the names are used interchangeably, and both are simply made with London Dry.
Collins fizz: what is the difference
A Collins and a fizz look almost identical on paper: gin, lemon, sugar and soda. The difference lies in the preparation and the length. You build the John Collins in a highball glass full of ice with a generous splash of soda: long, cold and thirst-quenching. The Gin Fizz is shaken and topped with less soda, making it shorter and more forcefully effervescent. The Ramos Gin Fizz is the elaborate version with cream and egg white. And if you leave out the lemon and sugar and use tonic, you have a Gin and Tonic.
Which gin for a John Collins
Choose a dry London Dry gin at 40 to 47 percent ABV. The lemon and soda soften the gin's sharper edges, so you can use a robust, juniper-forward bottle without making the drink harsh. A gin with plenty of citrus, such as Tanqueray No. Ten, gives a fresher Collins; Gordon's keeps it classic and dry. A gin with cucumber and rose, such as Hendrick's, also works: garnish it with a slice of cucumber instead of lemon. For the historical, sweeter flavor, use Old Tom and make it a Tom Collins.
Making sugar syrup yourself
Sugar syrup is nothing more than sugar dissolved in water, and making it yourself takes five minutes. For a John Collins, a 1:1 syrup works best: 100 grams of granulated sugar to 100 ml of water. Heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved, do not let it boil, and leave it to cool. In a clean, sealed bottle, the syrup keeps in the refrigerator for about a month. You can find the full recipe and a richer variation at making sugar syrup. Do not add loose sugar to the glass, as it dissolves poorly in cold drinks.
John Collins for a group
For eight glasses, mix 36 cl gin, 24 cl fresh lemon juice and 12 cl sugar syrup in a pitcher and refrigerate for at least an hour. Add the ice and soda only to the glass; otherwise, the pitcher will dilute and the fizz will disappear. Fill a glass with ice for each person, pour in 9 cl of the mixture and top up with 6 cl of cold soda. Stir twice and garnish. That way, you can serve eight guests in five minutes. You can find a pitcher with a narrow spout among our pitchers.
Alcohol-free John Collins
To make an alcohol-free John Collins, use 4.5 cl alcohol-free gin, such as the alcohol-free version of Gordon's or Tanqueray, 3 cl fresh lemon juice, 1 cl sugar syrup and 6 cl soda. Reduce the syrup slightly, as without alcohol the drink quickly tastes like lemonade. Build it the same way in a glass filled with ice. If you don't have alcohol-free gin, use only lemon juice, syrup and soda with a few cucumber slices or a sprig of rosemary for some herbal flavor. Serve with the same garnish so it doesn't look out of place.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a John Collins?
According to the IBA: 4.5 cl gin, 3 cl fresh lemon juice, 1.5 cl sugar syrup and 6 cl soda water. Pour everything directly into a long drink glass filled with ice, stir briefly and garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry.
What is the difference between a John Collins and a Tom Collins?
Only the gin. The IBA makes the John Collins with regular gin and the Tom Collins with Old Tom gin, a sweeter style. Lemon juice, sugar syrup and soda are the same. The John Collins is historically the older of the two.
Should you shake a John Collins?
Not according to the IBA: you build it directly in the glass and stir gently. Many bars do briefly shake the gin, lemon and sugar with ice first, then top it up with soda. This produces a slightly colder and cloudier drink. Both methods are good; building it is faster.
Which glass do you serve a John Collins in?
In a tall, narrow long drink glass holding 33 to 47 cl, filled to the rim with ice. In English, this type of glass is called a Collins glass. Its narrow shape keeps the carbonation longer than a wide glass, and it holds enough ice to keep the drink cold.
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