Richard Brinsley Sheridan, an eminent Anglo-Irish playwright, had two sons, Frank and Charles. In the 30s of the XNUMXth century, they composed a song about their friend John Collins, either the head waiter at the restaurant at the Limmer’s Hotel, or the head waiter, or the bartender. In these verses, he circled among his guests and poured them a drink of his own composition – Gin Punch punch. Of course, the composition of the punch did not reach our troubled times, but it is said that it is very similar to the cocktail served in the London bar “Garvik Club”, consisting of gin, Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and soda.
By coincidence, the British Army officers liked the drink, after which its popularity could no longer be retained – the John Collins cocktail, named after its creator, migrated with the army to the United States, where the legendary bartenders turned it into a cult. In 1865, the first article appeared about him in the newspaper, after which the drink turned into a self-evident attribute of a hot day. Thus, another classic cocktail was born, which the organizers of the International Bartenders Association took under their wing. Its recipe is extremely simple.
Cocktail recipe John Collins (build, long drink)
Innings:
- collins glass;
Ingredients:
- Xnumx gin ml;
- 30 ml of lemon fresh;
- 15 ml sugar syrup;
- 60 ml soda.
Preparation:
- fill the glass with ice;
- pour all the ingredients in sequence;
- stir a little and garnish with a cherry and a slice of lemon;
- Optionally, you can add a dash of Angostura bitters.
In general, it would be more correct to add not syrup, but white sugar directly to the cocktail, but the first one is more functional. Soda, that is, soda, you should not feel sorry for, but you don’t need to be zealous with ice. It is better to use the largest possible cubes and add them to a minimum – it is enough to put 4 things in a standard collins. Harry Johnson generally suggested mixing all the ingredients with ice right in the glass, and then removing the excess. In general, to improve the taste, Collins is prepared in a shaker (soda is added after shaking).
Sometimes John Collins is served with an orange slice rather than a lemon, but this is not so important.
Today you will not envy a cocktail. Noble dons from prestigious bars began to experiment with ingredients, and changing the base strong alcohol was its most noble variation. Over time, enthusiasts began to use everything in a row, down to liquors and fruits and berries. Collins, you see, was too simple and could not satisfy the demands of the sophisticated public. Then it got even worse – food concerns decided to sell a ready-made cocktail in liter bottles, as a result of which Collins turned into a caricature of himself, a painted over, mutilated, forgotten “icon” in a row of equally insulted cocktails – Bloody Mary in a glass, Mojito in bottles and Margaritas in tins.
But the Collins are alive and continue to thrive thanks to the bartenders, and not the “bartenders” from the capital’s bowling alley. Better take a good gin, some lemon juice, a spoonful of sugar and regular soda, and make a cocktail yourself – it’s better than slurping a mutilated legend from the hands of a crooked businessman proudly calling himself a bartender in a nearby eatery.
About the Collins family
Initially, the cocktail was prepared on the basis of Dutch Gin (Genever, Jeneva), but according to legend, Old Tom Gin was used in Limmers – a kind of transitional drink between Dutch Genever and London Dry. Until the end of the 1876th century, both gins were used to prepare John Collins, which Jerry “Professor” Thomas, who at that time worked at the Planter’s House Hotel in Missouri, did not fail to note in his reference book. In XNUMX, in his Bartender’s Guide, he mentioned Collins’ recipe on Old Tom Gin under the “code” name “Tom Collins”. So the confusion arose, whether he is John, or whether he is Tom.
In fact, the “Professor” created, without knowing it, a whole galaxy of cocktails – the Collins family. This is any mixed drink, which includes strong alcohol, lemon juice, sugar and sparkling water, prepared using the build method and served in a tall glass tumbler (aka Collins). By the way, a little about glasses. In most bars, Collins are served in highballs, which are fundamentally almost no different from ordinary Collins – the latter are narrower and taller. Some people call a tall collins a “chimney” and a very tall one, 14 ounces or more, a “zombie”. However, the king of cocktails, Dale DeGroff, generally refers to all these glasses as highballs, and CocktailDB refers to “tall glasses” (tall glass). But this is so, a small digression.
Let’s get back to the family. If you replace gin with apple jack (apple brandy), you get Jack Collins, Irish whiskey – Mike, rum – Pedro, tequila – Pepito, cognac – Pierre, vodka – Joe (I would I wanted to see Vanya Collins with my own eyes). In general, there is room for imagination. The main thing is not to overdo it – Collins cause exorbitant appetites for women (men) and an irresistible desire to find adventure on your ass. The Ministry of Health warned, in general. With you was the Rum Diary and I, Artem Gudimov, proudly calling myself the editor of our magazine/blog. Till!