Elderflower Collins
Gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon and soda over ice. The Tom Collins with the flower in it — summer in a tall glass, and the easiest way to use the elderflower bottle well.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Fill a collins glass with ice.
Add the gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice to a shaker, fill with ice, and shake briefly.
Strain into the glass over the ice and top with cold soda.
Stir once and garnish with a lemon wheel, and a cucumber ribbon if you like.
A thoughtful finish
- The elderflower liqueur replaces the sugar entirely; do not add syrup as well.
- Keep it at three-quarters of an ounce. The liqueur's reputation for taking over drinks comes from bartenders using more.
- A splash of elderflower cordial in place of some of the soda makes a more floral, slightly sweeter version.
Common mistakes
- Syrup on top of the liqueur. It turns sweet.
- A heavily herbal gin. It fights the flower; a clean London dry or a citrus gin suits it.
- Flat soda or a warm glass. It is a highball; it lives on cold and fizz.
A few good questions.
How is it different from a Tom Collins?
The sweetener. A Tom Collins uses sugar; the Elderflower Collins uses elderflower liqueur, which brings floral and pear notes with its sweetness.
Can I use elderflower cordial?
Yes — use half an ounce of cordial and a half-ounce more gin, since the cordial has no alcohol. It is lighter and a little sweeter.
Gin or vodka?
Gin, ideally. Vodka works and makes a softer, more neutral drink that shows the elderflower alone.
Can I make it alcohol-free?
Elderflower cordial, lemon and soda over ice is one of the best soft drinks there is, and it is this recipe minus the gin.
Variations
- Tom Collins — Gin, lemon, sugar and soda.
- Hugo Spritz — Elderflower, prosecco, mint and soda.
- French 75 — Gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne.
- Gin Fizz — Shaken, served short with no ice.
Where it comes from
c. 2007 · United States and United Kingdom
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Elderflower liqueur arrived on bar shelves in 2007 and the Collins was among the first drinks bartenders put it in: swap the sugar in a Tom Collins for an ounce of the liqueur and the drink gains pear, lychee and honeysuckle without losing its structure. No one bar can claim it — it appeared on menus in New York, London and San Francisco within the same year — and it became the standard way to show the new liqueur off. The British, who grew up on elderflower cordial, had been making a soft-drink version for decades.
Sources
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Elderflower Collins, 2015 (reference)
- Dale DeGroff, The Essential Cocktail, 2008 (book)
Strength. About 1.35 US standard drinks at an estimated 12.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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