Vodka Collins

A Vodka Collins drink is a variation of the classic gin cocktail, Tom Collins but with vodka as its star.

As part of the Collins family of cocktails, the Vodka Collins is an an easy-to-make drink containing vodka, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, topped with soda water. It’s traditionally served in a Collins glass (or highball glass) filled ice cubes, garnished with either a orange wheel with a fresh cherry or a lemon wheel with a fresh cherry.

A Vodka Collins can be made as a built drink, made directly in the glass, or as a shaken drink (all ingredients except the soda water).

Fresh and crisp, perfectly balancing sweet and sour. You get zesty lemon, elevated by the effervescence of soda water and balanced with the sweetness of simple syrup, creating a drink reminiscent of traditional lemonade, all smoothed out by the vodka base.

To look at the origins the Vodka Collins, we must first consider the Tom Collins. While the exact origins of the Tom Collins are debated, sources indicate that the drink was most likely invented in London in the 1870s.

The Vodka Collins, on the other hand, made its first print appearance almost a hundred years later, during the early 1960s.

• Shaken Vodka Collins
  While our recipe demonstrates how to make a Vodka Collins as a built drink, you’ll notice in the video that Rico prefers to shake his Vodka Collins (except for the soda water, of course!) rather than using the traditional stirred method. Why? “I just prefer the texture of a shaken drink,” he explains.Here’s how to make a shaken Vodka Collins:

1. Measure and pour the lemon juice into the smaller tin of your Boston shaker, followed by simple syrup, then Absolut Vodka.
2. Ice your shaker all the way to the top, then seal the shaker tins and getting shaking.
3. Fill up your highball glass with ice cubes.
4. Strain your cocktail with a Hawthorne strainer – no need to fine strain, since your glass has ice cubes.
5. Top up with soda water and then garnish your drink.

• Always use fresh lemon juice
  The Vodka Collins is all about that crisp, fresh lemon taste. The only way to get your drink to taste fresh is to use fresh ingredients, so grab a couple of lemons and start squeezing. No store-bought bottled lemon juice allowed!

A Vodka Collins is, of course, a variation of a Tom Collins and it’s fair to say that there are as many Collins variations as there are people on the planet. For example, if you use bourbon as the base spirit and you’ve got a Colonel Collins. Use calvados and you’ve got a Jack Collins. Use tequila and you’ve got a Jose Collins. The list is endless…

However, below, you’ll find some of our favorite variations of a Vodka Collins, all of which use vodka as the spirit of choice.

• Use any flavored vodka 
  As Rico explains, “If you want to make you own variation, experiment at home by trying any of our (Absolut Vodka) flavors – make a Citron Collins, make a Raspberry Collins,  even try to make a Vanilla Collins. If you like it, it’s your drink, you drink it,” encourages Rico.Simply follow the same drink recipe you see on this page but substitute Absolut Vodka for an Absolut flavored vodka.
• Elderflower Collins
  Follow the recipe for a Vodka Collins but then add 15 ml of elderflower cordial and you’ve got an Elderflower Collins. The herbal notes from the elderflower cordial gives it a firm nod towards a Tom Collins. Check out the drink recipe for an Elderflower Collins.
• Joe Collins
  The Joe Collins follows the same recipe as a Vodka Collins but adds equal parts lime juice and lemon juice along with a couple of dashes of bitters to create an aromatic, double-citrus delight. Discover how to make a Joe Collins.
• Raspberry Collins
  Swapping Absolut Vodka for raspberry-flavored vodka and adding a splash of black raspberry liqueur, the Raspberry Collins offers a delicious, berry-forward twist on the Vodka Collins. Check out the recipe for a Raspberry Collins.
• Absolut Haring Collins
  Made as one of the signature cocktails for the release of the artist-edition Absolut Haring, the Haring Collins mixes vodka, orange juice, lemon Juice, and ginger syrup for a truly unique and fruity twist. Here’s how to make an Absolut Haring Collins.
• Peach Vodka Collins
  This variation of a Vodka Collins swaps Absolut Vodka for Absolut Peach (peach-flavored vodka) and adds pineapple juice for a tropical twist. Discover the recipe for a Peach Vodka Collins.

“There’s an age-old discussion – what is the correct garnish for the Vodka Collins?” explains Rico. “Is it orange and a cherry? Or is it lemon and a cherry? Make them both and find out,” he suggests. Great advice, Rico!

• As you’ll see in the video, Rico garnishes one Vodka Collins with two orange half-moons and a fresh cherry. For the other Vodka Collins, he uses two lemon half-moons with a fresh cherry.

  Why half-moons? Because the lemon and orange wheels were very big and would have looked odd in the glass. However, feel free to garnish with a lemon or orange wheel as long as you’re happy with the way it looks.

• “Whether you like orange or lemon, honesty, I don’t care – there shouldn’t really be rules like that. If you want to stick grapefruit in it, stick grapefruit in it,” explains Rico.
• Many bartenders like to skewer both the cherry and the orange or lemon on a cocktail stick, which is then placed along the top of the glass.
• Another popular garnish choice is using a maraschino cherry instead of a fresh cherry. Again, you can skewer a maraschino cherry together with a slice of orange or lemon.
• Regardless of which garnish you prefer, a Vodka Collins is typically served in a Collins glass, hence the name. However, a highball glass filled with ice cubes, accompanied by a straw is works just as well since the two are glasses are very much interchangeable.