The John Collins was the original version of the much more famous Tom Collins cocktail. Instead of Old Tom gin, the John Collins is made with Genever, Lemon Juice, Sugar and Soda Water. It lost out on the popularity war, but it is the better drink. It proves that the best idea doesn’t always win.
Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting that a Tom Collins is a bad drink, it’s not. It’s a great drink, but the John Collins is better. Genever just lends itself to being a better bedfellow with lemon, sugar and soda. The weighty, malty, almost musky flavor of the base spirit is somehow soft and bold at the same time, which offers a complexity that the Tom Collins can’t match.
The John Collins was named after a London-based bartender from the late 1800’s named, you guessed it, John Collins. There’s speculation that he did not invent the drink that bore his namesake, because a very similar Genever, lemon, sweetener and soda drink existed before the John Collins called Gin Punch. As a sweetener, Gin Punch used Maraschino Liqueur instead of sugar, but it was close enough that cocktail historian, David Wondrich believed it was the progenitor to the Collins.
In any case, the John Collins became a famous drink, at least for a time. It all changed when a new spirit started getting aggressively introduced to the American market. It was a different variation of gin called Old Tom Gin, which is considered something of a missing link between Genever and London Dry Gin. They started making a John Collins with Old Tom Gin in place of the Genever until the Tom Collins took over and the John Collins was left in the dust.
There are a lot of places on the interwebs where you can find a recipe for a drink called the John Collins which is the same thing only with whiskey in place of the Genever. Despite the fact that a Whiskey Collins is a good drink, think Whiskey Sour ( https://youtu.be/jWeCefJj-T0) with soda, it’s not a John Collins. Although, it does seem fitting in a way that the Whiskey Collins would co-opt the name, because Genever, despite the fact that it’s considered the grandfather of London Dry Gin, is closely related to a whiskey. Genever is made from malt wine (which is typically made with grains like malted barley, rye and corn), much like unaged blended Scotch or White Dog (unaged American whiskey). But unlike whisk(e)y, Genever is then infused with botanicals, including juniper.
The John Collins is a forgotten classic. The foundation on which the mighty Tom Collins was built. But like some great songs, in this case, the original is better than the cover. Enjoy!
Recipe:
2 oz Genever
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Sugar
top Soda
garnish Lemon Wheel
Stir Genever, Lemon and Sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over ice in a Collins glass. Garnish with Lemon Wheel.
Music:
Lemon Twist by Auracle
via JinglePunks
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John Collins - the Genever Drink That Inspired the Tom Collins | |
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| How-to & Style | Upload TimePublished on 22 Jul 2016 |
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