COCKTAIL · Classic cocktails
John Collins
PUBLISHED · 19 Oct 2026
The whiskey version of the Collins: bourbon, lemon and soda, long and sparkling.
The whiskey version of the Collins: bourbon, lemon and soda, long and sparkling.
INGREDIENTS
- Bourbon45 ml
- Lemon juice30 ml
- Simple syrup15 ml
- Soda waterto top
- Orange wheel and cherryto garnish
Build the bourbon, lemon and syrup in a Collins glass over ice and stir. Top with soda water and garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.
- CREATED
- 1860s
- CREATOR
- John Collins
- STATE
- United Kingdom
- LOCATION
- London, England
The John Collins is the elder of the Collins family, descended from the gin punch at Limmer’s Hotel, London, where John Collins worked as head waiter. In the 19th century a John Collins was made with Holland gin or genever, while a Tom Collins used Old Tom gin. Harry Johnson codified both in his 1882 Bartenders’ Manual.
✳John Collins