John Collins (cocktail)
A gin-based Collins cocktail, precursor to the Tom Collins.
The John Collins is a long drink made with London dry gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. The first known recipe appears in an 1869 bartending manual, though the drink itself may be older. It likely takes its name from a headwaiter at Limmer's Old House, a hotel and coffee house in Mayfair that operated from around 1790 to 1817. The John Collins is essentially the same drink as the Tom Collins, which seems to be a later name for it. According to drinks historian David Wondrich, the version introduced to New York in the 1850s would have resembled gin punches served at London clubs like the Garrick in the early 1800s, typically made with gin, lemon juice, chilled soda water, and maraschino. The 1869 recipe calls for Old Tom gin, which likely led to the name change to "Tom Collins" in Jerry Thomas's 1876 recipe. Today, the term "John Collins" sometimes refers to a Tom Collins made with whiskey instead of gin. Earlier versions of the gin punch may have used Dutch gin. A rhyme about John Collins was written by Frank and Charles Sheridan.
Quick Facts
- Base
- Gin
- Ingredients
- 45 ml gin / 30 ml fresh lemon juice / 15 ml simple syrup / 60 ml soda water
- Served
- On the rocks: poured over ice
- Garnish
- Lemon slice and maraschino cherry
- Prep
- Pour all ingredients directly into a Collins glass filled with ice. Stir gently.
- Drinkware
- Collins glass
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The John Collins is a long drink stirred with ice and topped with soda, made from London dry gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. A recipe for a John Collins appears in the Steward and Barkeeper's Manual of 1869. Drinks historian David Wondrich has speculated that the original recipe introduced to New York in the 1850s would have been very similar to gin punches served at London clubs such as the Garrick during the first half of the 19th century, likely using gin, lemon juice, chilled soda water, and maraschino.
Reader's Guide
The John Collins holds significance as an early documented Collins cocktail, representing a bridge between 19th-century London gin punches and the later, more famous Tom Collins. The drink's association with a headwaiter at Limmer's Old House in Mayfair (circa 1790–1817) gives it a specific, if uncertain, origin story. The evolution from John Collins to Tom Collins, driven by the use of Old Tom gin in the 1869 recipe, illustrates how ingredient choices can rename a classic. The contemporary shift—where a John Collins is now made with whiskey—shows how drink names can reverse or drift over time. The drink's legacy is tied to the broader Collins family of cocktails and the transatlantic spread of British drinking culture.
Did You Know?
- The John Collins is believed to have originated with a headwaiter of that name at Limmer's Old House in Mayfair, a hotel and coffee house popular around 1790–1817.
- The specific call for Old Tom gin in the 1869 recipe is a likely cause for the name change to 'Tom Collins' in Jerry Thomas's 1876 recipe.
- In contemporary parlance, a John Collins is a Tom Collins made with whiskey instead of gin.
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