Tom Collins

One of the most famous tales attributes the Tom Collins’s name to “The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874” in New York. This widespread practical joke involved telling a friend or acquaintance that a man named “Tom Collins” was in a nearby bar, speaking ill of them. The unsuspecting victim, often eager to confront this slanderer, would rush to the bar asking for Tom Collins. The joke’s climax was the realization that no such person existed, leading to much amusement (and perhaps a bit of embarrassment) for those who fell for it.

Legend has it that a clever bartender, catching on to the prank, decided to create a drink named so that when someone inevitably came in asking for him, they would unknowingly be ordering a refreshing gin cocktail. This viral prank’s popularity, spreading through newspapers and even music hall songs, certainly gave the name “Tom Collins” widespread recognition.

However, an alternative and arguably more plausible theory traces the drink back to London in the 1860s, specifically to a headwaiter named John Collins at Limmer’s Old House. Limmer’s was a popular hotel and coffee house known for its “Gin Punch.” It’s believed that John Collins created a gin-based punch that was a precursor to the modern Tom Collins. As the drink gained popularity, especially when made with “Old Tom Gin” (a slightly sweeter style of gin popular at the time), the name might have naturally evolved from “John Collins” to “Tom Collins.” Indeed, cocktail historian David Wondrich suggests that the Tom Collins is an adaptation of the older Gin Punch, and the names “John Collins” and “Tom Collins” simply distinguished the type of gin used – “John” for Dutch Genever (or later London Dry Gin) and “Tom” for Old Tom Gin.

Regardless of its exact genesis, the first recorded recipe for a “Tom Collins” (or at least a similar “Collins” class of drinks) appeared in Jerry Thomas’s influential Bartender’s Guide. While some sources initially cited the 1876 edition, later research indicates it might have been in Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual in 1882, with Thomas’s Guide including it in later editions after his death. The core ingredients – gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda water – have remained largely consistent, cementing the Tom Collins as a beloved and enduring classic cocktail that continues to quench thirsts and spark conversation today.