Drink of the Day: Tom Collins

Unless you're old enough to have served in the Korean War, it's quite possible you've never had a well made Tom Collins. What you've probably had is a concoction of high fructose corn syrup sweet & sour mix / high fructose corn syrup sprite, and cheap gin. No good.



Made properly, the Tom Collins is a refreshing cocktail, perfect for an early evening drink.

Two Parts Dry Gin
One Part Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
One Part Simple Syrup°
Club Soda/Soda Water/Seltzer
Two Ice Cubes
Slice of Orange or Lime

Pour gin, lemon juice, and syrup over ice cubes. Stir. Add soda to fill glass. Stir again. Twist fruit slice. Use twisted slice as garnish. Drink.


°Simple syrup is a great name to describe what it is. Add one part sugar to one part water, boil. Simple. (Note: Make a decent amount of this for summertime use. Use it to sweeten iced tea.)

Drink of the Day: Pimms Cocktail

A Pimms cocktail is my favorite summertime drink.  Pimms is a British liquor made with a gin base, and flavored with herb, spice, and citrus.  It has a totally unique flavor, and, blended the right way, makes for a great refreshment on a hot afternoon.

Mix, over ice:

• Two Parts Pimms
• One Part Gin
• 4 Parts Lemon-Lime Soda

Now for the secret weapon...cucumber!  Bet you never thought you'd be putting a vegetable in your cocktail, eh?!  Well, there's a first time for everything.  Cut about half a cucumber into the pitcher your mixing the drink in.  Give it a good stir.

Pour the cocktail into a glass filled with ice.  Garnish with a little cucumber and slice of lemon.