Old Tom Collins

The 1870s heralded the arrival of the Tom Collins in the world of American mixology, which itself had entered a new phase, one of codification through cocktail manuals. Though the Collins is commonly thought of as being served over generous amounts of ice, in this period (1875-1919), it’s often served like a Fizz (sans ice)–another drink that made a splash at this time. There’s also a fair amount of lime during this period, whether it’s split with lemon or on its own.

INGREDIENTS

1½ oz. unaged Old Tom gin*
½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. lemon juice
¾ oz. rich simple syrup
~2 oz. club soda

Garnish: orange peel

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ABV LEVEL

Combine all but soda in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a small fizz glass and top with soda. Express an orange twist over the top, trim it, and lay across the top of the glass.

*John Collins variation: replace Old Tom with genever