PREP TIME 5 min
Whether you’re a die-hard bourbon lover or simply loathe doing the washing up at the end of a party, our John Collins cocktail is made for you. Unlike the other Collins family cocktails, which are made with gin, this one’s swirled with bourbon, and it’s the easiest and best John Collins cocktail recipe you can make at home. Savor its notes of warm caramel and vanilla – and the reassuring fact this refreshing drink can be made at a moment’s notice.
Fill a Collins or hi-ball glass with ice and add the bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup and stir thoroughly to combine
Top up with soda water and garnish with a cherry and an orange slice
Our John Collins recipe needs no special tools at all, not even a cocktail shaker! This easy drink is made straight into a Collins glass filled with ice and topped up with soda to taste – it doesn’t get simpler. We suggest you choose a top-shelf bourbon like Wild Turkey to deliver sweet vanilla and oak notes that blend brilliantly with zesty fresh lemon juice.
With two Collins cocktails making the rounds, it’s easy to get confused so let us explain the key differences between a John Collins and a Tom Collins cocktail. They have many similarities – for starters, they’re both served in a namesake Collins glass, a tall glass that typically holds about 12-16oz, making this a long serve. Both drinks also contain a mixture of lemon juice, sugar syrup, and club soda but the spirit choice is where these two cocktails differ. While a Tom Collins is made with a London Dry gin, a John Collins has taken a modern twist and swaps the gin for bourbon whiskey for a dramatically different flavor profile. A John Collins is a lot like a Whiskey Sour cocktail but is made longer with the addition of club soda.
