The Tom Collins, a timeless classic in the world of cocktails, is a must for every summer cocktail menu. The combination of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and soda water makes it a popular choice for the summer.
However, why settle for the ordinary when you can transform this beloved cocktail by its own ingredients and pick the best theme to pay homage, As a gin lover, you can just recognize the numerous ways you can change this cocktail by its own ingredients and create a new flavor profile while still paying homage to the OG. We are doing my three favorite variations.
My 3 Favorite Variations
The three Tom Collins below highlight different features of the cocktail. Experimenting with fresh ingredients and simple syrup is a no brainer and a great way to bring out the Tom Collins. For this blog post, I want to focus on the spirits used and how enhances the way the cocktail's taste, smell, and look. All of these cocktails are inspired by national and international brands that bring out that component of this cocktail. The Yuzu Collins, Ginja Collins, and the Empress Collins play with those ingredients beautifully. Check out the recipes below!
Yuzu Collins
Ginja Collins
Classic Collins
First, the Yuzu Collins embraces the refreshing citrus flavors and Japanese spirits. Roku Gin and Yuzu Liqueur have been classic hallmarks to fresh cocktails. The floral gin and heavy citrus tones complement the club soda. I am a fan of Japanese spirits. The flavor profile and distillation method across their spirits are wonderful and fresh. Yuzu is one of those spirits that I can't stop experimenting and it enhances those citrus tones.
The Ginja Collins embraces the cherry garnish in the Tom Collins. Ginja is a fantastic Portuguese cherry liqueur. The sour cherry boosts the collins adding a bit of tartness to the citrus flavors. I showcased Ginja Collins during the Cocktail World Cup. In addition, I have used Ginja for other cocktails for a Spritz and Rickeys. It is a fun bitter liqueur that should be in everyone's shelf to match with Luxardo.
Lastly, the Empress Collins reflects the classic cocktail in terms of ingredients with a modern twist from its distillation process. I love this floral blue gin. It is one of my favorite gins and very versatile for classic cocktails and coming up with new ones. You should check out The Prickly Pear, French 75, and my very own Corpse Reviver #3. It is a wonderful bottle to have too.
I love all of these variations as it pays homage to Tom! Seriously, go try experiment with these variations and let me know what you think in the comments.