The next in our series of official WBA cocktails is the John Collins. We find the John Collins in the category ‘unforgettables’ at the WBA, which indicates that the cocktail has been around for a long time. The first recipe for the John Collins dates from 1869 in the ‘Steward and Barkeeper’s Manual’. The name of the cocktail is said to originate from John Collins, an employee at the Limmer’s hotel in London, who made the cocktail there for the first time. Other sources say he was first served by a Mr. Collins from New York, but also Americans from other states with the name Collins and even Australians are sometimes mentioned as inventors of the cocktail.
Thirst quencher
Well, whoever made the cocktail for the first time is actually not that important, as long as it tastes good. The John Collins is actually a thirst quencher based on Gin, lemon juice and sugar. Anyone who loves sweets and sours will probably appreciate the John Collins. Because the John Collins is diluted with soda water, it becomes a fresh thirst quencher. In the original recipe, the John Collins was sweetened with powder sugar. In the version that is now being published by the WBA, the powder sugar is being replaced by sugar syrup, so we are going to do that too.
What do you need?
- 4.5 cl Gin
- 1.5 cl Sugar syrup
- 3 cl Fresh lemon juice
- 6 cl Soda water
- A slice of lemon
- 1 Maraschino cherry
How do you make it?
Fill a tall cocktail glass with ice. Pour the sugar syrup, gin and lemon juice into the glass in that order. Finally add the soda water. Then you stir everything gently. Garnish with one Maraschino cherry and a slice of lemon. That’s all. Enjoy!
