The John Collins: The Whiskey-Side of the Collins Family

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The John Collins sits inside one of the oldest long-drink families in the bar world. It is tall, citrusy, and easy to understand at first sip, but the history behind the name is less tidy than the recipe itself.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• Top off with soda water
• Garnish with an apple slice
• Garnish with a brandied cherry

Directions

• Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Shake until chilled.
• Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice.
• Top with soda water and stir gently.
• Garnish with an apple slice and a brandied cherry.

Recognized by the International Bartenders Association as a popular cocktail recipe.

A Name with Competing Histories

The Collins family is wrapped up in 19th-century London and New York bar lore. One persistent account links the drink to a headwaiter named John Collins at Limmer's Hotel in London. Another layer of confusion comes from the later popularity of the Tom Collins, which eventually overshadowed the earlier name and blurred the distinction between the two.

Because of that overlap, recipes published under "John Collins" have not always agreed on the base spirit. Older versions are associated with gin or genever-adjacent formulas, while many modern bar guides treat the John Collins as the whiskey-led member of the family.

Why This Build Makes Sense

In this whiskey version, bourbon gives the drink a rounder and slightly deeper base than gin. Lemon juice keeps it sharp, simple syrup softens the edge, and soda water stretches everything into a proper highball. The result is refreshing without becoming thin.

That balance is what makes the Collins template so durable. It can adapt to different spirits while retaining the same basic appeal: bright acid, a little sweetness, and length from carbonation.

A Long Drink That Lasted

The John Collins endures because it belongs to a family that never really went out of style. Even when the exact naming drifted, the structure survived. That is often how old bar traditions work: the labels change around the edges, but the drink remains legible.

Best on warm afternoons or early evenings when a whiskey drink sounds right but something short and heavy does not.