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Vodka Collins

This bright, citrusy cocktail is the perfect balance of tart and sweet, with enough vodka to make it interesting but not so much that it overpowers the fresh lemon juice. The vodka collins is refreshingly simple to make, looks elegant in a glass, and tastes like something a skilled bartender spent five minutes perfecting.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Course: Drinks and Beverages
Cuisine: American
Calories: 145
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 2 ounces 60 ml vodka
  • 1 ounce 30 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 ounces 15 ml simple syrup
  • 4 ounces 120 ml soda water or club soda
  • 8 to 10 ice cubes
  • 1 lemon wheel or slice for garnish
  • 1 cherry for garnish optional

Equipment

  • Cocktail shaker or mason jar with tight lid
  • Jigger for measuring
  • Bar spoon or long spoon for stirring
  • Highball glass or tall cocktail glass
  • Strainer
  • Citrus juicer or hand juicer
  • Cutting board and knife for lemon slices

Method
 

  1. Fill your highball glass with ice and let it sit for about a minute while you prepare the other ingredients. A cold glass keeps the drink colder longer and prevents it from warming up too quickly once you pour the cocktail into it.
  2. Pour 2 ounces of vodka into your cocktail shaker or mason jar using a jigger to measure accurately.
  3. Juice a fresh lemon until you have 1 ounce of juice and add it to the shaker with the vodka.
  4. Measure out 0.5 ounces of simple syrup and pour it into the shaker with the vodka and lemon juice.
  5. Fill your shaker about three-quarters full with ice cubes and put the lid on securely.
  6. Shake the mixture hard for about 10 to 12 seconds until the outside of the shaker becomes frosty and cold to the touch.
  7. Remove the ice from your highball glass and strain the shaken mixture into it using your strainer.
  8. Pour about 4 ounces of soda water into the glass and stir gently two or three times with your bar spoon.
  9. Slice a lemon wheel or half-moon slice and place it on the rim of the glass, or drop it into the drink. Add a cherry if you like, and serve immediately while the drink is still properly chilled and fizzy.

Notes

Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice; bottled juice is acidic and flat tasting, and it's the single biggest factor that separates a mediocre collins from one that tastes like it came from a real bar. Make simple syrup in bulk and store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator; it keeps for several weeks and saves you time when you want a quick cocktail. Serve immediately after mixing; the longer the drink sits, the more soda water goes flat and the more ice melts, diluting your carefully balanced flavors.