Raspberry Collins

The Raspberry Collins is a gin cocktail and an adaptation of a classic Tom Collins drink. It’s made with gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, fresh raspberries and topped off with soda water.

Fruity and slightly tart, where fresh lemon juice and tangy fresh raspberries beautifully complement the gin’s botanicals. The soda water adds an effervescent crispness that enlivens the drink, making the Raspberry Collins a perfect summer’s drink. 

The history of the Raspberry Collins isn’t well documented, but we can say it’s a modern drink created in the late 20th century as a twist on the classic Tom Collins, which dates back to the 1880s.

As we always say, making great drinks is all about the details. Here’s a couple of tips on how to make the best Raspberry Collins:

• Double strain your cocktail
  We recommend double straining your Raspberry Collins to prevent unwanted raspberry pieces ending up in your teeth.How do you double strain a cocktail, you ask? Place a Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin of your Boston shaker, then pour the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the glass. Check out our article on how to double strain a cocktail for more detailed info.
• Choose your favorite gin
  Choosing the best ingredients is the best way to ensure a great tasting drink. So, if you have a favorite gin, use that. Personally, we love a London Dry Gin in a Raspberry Collins but experiment and see what you like best.
• Fresh ingredients
  Whenever you see lemon juice in a cocktail recipe, it means fresh squeezed lemon juice. Even if you can find lemon juice on the shelf of your local supermarket, always juice from lemons and make your own juice. The difference it makes to your cocktail – in this case, the Raspberry Collins – is remarkable.

Since the Raspberry Collins is inspired by earlier Collins drinks, it means you could introduce garnishes and flavors from other Collins variations to make it your own drink. 

• Tom Collins
  Well, there wouldn’t be a Raspberry Collins if it weren’t for the gin classic that started it all. A classic Tom Collins recipe calls for London Dry Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and soda water, garnished with a fresh cherry and a lemon wheel.It’s one of the best drinks around – an indisputable classic cocktail. Here’s how to make a Tom Collins cocktail.
• Swap Gin for Raspberry Vodka
  Follow the recipe on this page but then simply swap out the gin for raspberry-flavored vodka and you’ve got yourself a Vodka Raspberry Collins.The raspberry-flavored vodka works extremely well and really exaggerates those sweet raspberry flavors.
• Raspberri Collins
  The Raspberri Collins (note: the spelling) is a variation of the Raspberry Collins.Where both a classic Tom Collins and Raspberry Collins are both made with gin, the Absolut Raspberri Collins swaps the gin for Absolut Raspberri, our raspberry-flavored vodka and omits the Créme de Framboise (raspberry liqueur). And it’s amazing!

The beauty of the Raspberry Collins is that it’s an uncomplicated drink – fresh, clean and simple. However, consider these tips to take your drink up a notch:

• We suggest serving a Raspberry Collins in either a Highball Glass or Collins Glass, filled with ice cubes. Either cocktail glass works great.

• To garnish, add a couple of fresh raspberries to emphasize the raspberry-flavored vodka and enhance the juicy raspberry notes.

• Alternatively, garnish your Raspberry Collins like a classic Tom Collins and opt for a lemon wheel instead or together with fresh raspberries.