The Collins family of cocktails is one of the great workhorses of the bar world — a simple, adaptable formula that’s been refreshing people since at least the 1860s. The Tom Collins is gin. The Vodka Collins is vodka. The John Collins is the rye whiskey version, and I’ll make the argument that it’s the most interesting one of the three.
The original John Collins actually predates the Tom Collins — it was made with Old Tom gin, a sweeter style, in the 1860s in London before it made its way to America and got rebuilt with whatever spirit was local and available. When American bartenders got their hands on it, rye was the natural choice. The spice of rye whiskey creates a tension with the lemon and sweetener that gin’s botanical character doesn’t quite replicate, and that tension makes the drink more interesting to think about while you’re drinking it.
Redemption Rye is the bourbon here — or the rye, more accurately. It’s a high-rye mash bill spirit at 92 proof with that characteristic rye spice — black pepper, clove, a little herbal quality — that makes a John Collins feel distinctly different from its Tom Collins cousin.
Redemption Rye — Honest and Reliable
Redemption Rye is sourced from MGP in Indiana, which produces a significant amount of American rye whiskey for various labels. The MGP high-rye mash bill is well regarded — it’s the same source behind a number of well-known rye labels — and Redemption bottles it at 92 proof, which is a good working proof for a long drink. Spicy, dry, and straightforward.
Rittenhouse 100 is the premium step-up — more proof, more complexity, a more assertive drink. Old Overholt is the budget-friendly path that still makes a solid John Collins without any apology.
The Collins Build
The John Collins follows the same build as the Whiskey Collins from earlier in the season: shake the spirit, lemon, and sweetener with ice, strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, top with cold club soda poured down the side. The order matters because shaking carbonated liquid destroys the bubbles before the drink gets to the glass.
Don’t over-shake. The base needs about ten seconds — just enough to chill and combine. Over-shaking dilutes the drink more than you want before the soda even goes in, and a watery Collins is a sad Collins.
