John Collins

The John Collins is a long cocktail from London, made with gin, lemon juice, sugar and carbonated water, although today it is often prepared with whiskey or bourbon. Its first recorded mention dates from 1869, and its name is traditionally linked to a London headwaiter.

History

The drink is believed to have taken its name from a headwaiter called John Collins, who worked at Limmer's Old House on Conduit Street in Mayfair. This popular London hotel and coffee house operated roughly between 1790 and 1817, though the link between the man and the drink remains a tradition rather than a proven fact.

The earliest known recipe appears in the Steward and Barkeeper's Manual of 1869, which calls for Old Tom gin, sugar, lemon juice, soda and ice. Drinks historian David Wondrich suggests that an earlier version reached New York in the 1850s and resembled the gin punches served at London clubs such as the Garrick. In 1876 Jerry Thomas published a recipe under the name Tom Collins, and the John Collins name later came to designate the whiskey version.

Culture

The John Collins belongs to the family of highballs and Collins drinks, tall glasses served over ice and topped with soda. Its simplicity made it a common choice in bars and terraces, where it is enjoyed as a refreshing summer cocktail. Frank and Charles Sheridan wrote a rhyme about the character, which shows how well known the name was in popular culture of the period.

Trivia