When researching the origin of the Tom Collins cocktail, we weren’t banking on a viral practical joke from the late 1800’s taking credit. However, a pub house prank is exactly one of the tall tales coloring the history of this refreshing gin drink!
The story goes that pranksters would tell their marks that a salty, slanderous fellow by the name of Tom Collins was talking ill of them, and if they wanted the deluge of vitriol to stop they better go and find the nefarious Collins. Invariably, the trash mouthed Tom would be parked at some local watering hole, where the disrespected fools would be directed towards. When they entered the establishment and asked the bartender “Where can I find Tom Collins?” they would be greeted with a sly smile and sour gin cocktail. “Tom ain’t here, but he sends his regards.”
Of course, there was no Tom Collins, but the drink served in his place naturally assumed the Collins name. Similar to the popular Gin Fizz, the Tom Collins cocktail is essentially a gin lemonade, sometimes with a splash of club soda for sparkle. Simple, straightforward, and with a sour punch…kind of like the mythical Tom Collins himself!
This recipe for a non-alcoholic Tom Collins is straightforward, too. You can create authentic gin flavor – without any alcohol! – by using non-alcoholic gin or sparkling hops water. Either of these ingredients will infuse your beverage with the botanical notes and subtle astringency that give gin its fresh character. The carbonation from the club soda or sparkling hops water adds a pleasant burn, mimicking alcohol burn and encouraging another sip.
Take a page from old Tom Collins’ playbook and see if you can fool your favorite gin drinker with a Tom Collins mocktail. Serve them a drink so good they won’t notice – or mind! – the deception. We promise we won’t blow your cover.
Tom Collins Mocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces non-alcoholic gin
- 1 ounces lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 – 1 ounces simple syrup depending on how sweet like you like
- 2 – 3 ounces club soda
- 1 cup ice
- 1 maraschino cherry
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Measure the non-alcoholic gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup and pour into the cocktail shaker. Cover tightly and shake well.
- Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Pour the mocktail mixture over the ice. Top off with club soda to fill the glass to the top, then garnish with a lemon wheel and maraschino cherry and serve.
Variation: You may substitute 4-5 ounces sparkling hop water for the non-alcoholic gin and club soda. Add the sparkling hop water in step 2 (do not mix in cocktail shaker) to preserve the carbonation.
Yield
1 serving
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