Tom Collins - The Ultimate Summer Drink

As summer starts, friends ask us about our favorite summer drinks. This is an important question, here in the South, where humidity makes the air sticky, and the temperature reads hot, sweltering, or unbearable. We at Serious Amateurs almost always respond, "Have you met Tom?" We make a Tom Collins one of two ways depending on the base liquor. The base recipe is:

• 2 oz Gin or Vodka (I like Plymouth Gin or Ketel One Vodka)
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• splash of soda

Combine the gin or vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup with ice and shake. Place fresh ice cubes in a tall glass and strain the mixture into the glass over the ice. Add a splash of soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

For an interesting variation, try a Hendrick's Collins. Hendrick's describes themselves as a most curious gin. It has a complex flavor with hints of melon. Because of its unique flavor, using Hendricks in any cocktail means you must adjust the other components to accommodate it. After experimenting with several iterations, we found slightly pulling back on the lemon allows a lovely subtle melon to shine through. This is our Hendrick's Collins:

• 2 oz Hendrick's Gin
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• splash of soda

The procedure is the same as that for a regular Collins.

Now, if only there were some way to incorporate blueberries ...