Collins Cocktail

Back when I made mulled wine for an evening spent with friends, Emmett requested an alternative drink… something with bourbon, of course. I didn’t have much time left, so I threw together one of my go-to cocktails: the Collins. I’ve always thought this drink was appropriately named (and one of my go to cocktails) because I come from the Collins family. Ha! It is made of four popular ingredients I always have on hand, and takes all of two minutes to shake up. Click through to get the recipe…

Collins // makes 1 serving

1 1/2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce lemon juice
tonic, as needed to fill the remainder of the glass

Let me start by saying, I quadrupled the batch because Emmett shared this with the guys.

Shake the spirit, simple syrup, and lemon juice with ice until well combined and the shaker looks frosty. Then strain into prepared iced Collins glasses, filling the remainder with tonic. This is my favorite tonic (yes- because of the nice packaging). If it’s going to sit on my bar, it might as well look good.

It was certainly a hit, and makes the perfect sipping cocktail. It’s pretty great this time of year because even though it’s served chilled… bourbon is a warm, cheerful spirit.

There’s a good reason why the Collins has been around forever and is considered a classic cocktail. It’s because even though it’s super simple, the flavors merry really well. The tonic adds nice carbonation and it’s just easy and enjoyable to drink. If you’re wondering about the barware… I’m still using my Target set and it’s holding up well!

Do you guys have any easy, go-to cocktail recipes? What would you make if friends suddenly showed up at your house? I often fall prey to the easiest: beer or wine…. but it’s so much nicer and unexpected to surprise your friends with a good cocktail! Don’t you agree?

Sarah

Founder & Creative Director