Gentle muddle, build, churn, and top
Mojito
Fresh mint, lime, rum, and a tall sparkling finish.
Build directly over cubed ice, top with soda, and stir gently
Tom Collins
A classic Collins built directly over ice, where gentle Old Tom sweetness softens fresh lemon before a cold soda lift.
Verified by CocktailSteps Editorial Team
- Time
- 4 minutes
- Level
- Easy
- Glass
- Highball
- Approx. ABV
- 11% · Low-medium
Measured for the room
Ingredients
1.5 ozOld Tom ginRecommended brandHayman’s Old Tom Gin
1 ozFresh lemon juiceRecommended brandSunkist Lemon
0.5 ozSimple syrupRecommended brandMonin Pure Cane Syrup
2 ozSoda waterRecommended brandFever-Tree Premium Club Soda
1 sliceLemon sliceOptionalRecommended brandSunkist Lemon
1 pieceCocktail cherryOptionalRecommended brandLuxardo Original Maraschino Cherries
Amounts scale from the verified one-glass recipe. Technique and timing stay unchanged.
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Old Tom gin
Measured method
How to make Tom Collins
- 01
Add the Old Tom gin
Cubed ice · 1½ oz Old Tom gin
Fill a highball with cubed ice, then pour in 1½ oz Old Tom gin.
Add the Old Tom gin visual check - 02
Add lemon and syrup
1 oz lemon · ½ oz simple syrup
Add 1 oz fresh lemon juice and ½ oz simple syrup to the glass.
Add lemon and syrup visual check - 03
Top with soda
2 oz soda water
Top gently with 2 oz cold soda water.
Top with soda visual check - 04
Stir gently
Stir gently · 4 sec
Stir gently for 4 seconds to combine the build without flattening the soda.
Stir gently visual check - 05
Add lemon and cherry
1 lemon slice · 1 cocktail cherry
Set 1 lemon slice and 1 cocktail cherry securely at the rim.
Add lemon and cherry visual check
Key move
Use Old Tom gin and keep the soda bubbles alive with a short, gentle stir
Verified technique note
Why this build works
The Tom Collins stays long and refreshing because 1½ ounces of Old Tom gin are balanced by 1 ounce of fresh lemon and only ½ ounce of simple syrup before 2 ounces of soda add length. Old Tom's gentle sweetness supports the smaller syrup measure without hiding the gin's botanicals. Building directly over cubed ice follows the Collins method and avoids the extra aeration of a Fizz. The soda goes in after the still ingredients, while a short four-second stir distributes the denser citrus and syrup without stripping away carbonation.
Common failure points
- The drink tastes sharply layered, with syrup settled near the bottom.
- Complete the gentle four-second stir after adding the soda water.
- The finished highball is flat before it reaches the table.
- Use cold soda and stop after two slow spoon rotations.
Measure or substitute
London dry gin can replace Old Tom at the same 1½-ounce measure, but the result will be drier; keep the ½ ounce of syrup initially, then adjust only after tasting the built drink.
Set the station
Tools
JiggerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Japanese Style Jigger
Bar spoonRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Teardrop Barspoon
Highball glassRecommended brandRIEDEL Drink Specific Highball
Know the pour
Low-medium
Old Tom gin is lengthened with lemon, syrup, soda, and serving ice.
Contains alcohol. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age and enjoy responsibly.
