Cherry Collins Recipe
Written by Enjoy spring with our Cherry Collins recipe! The mix of Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and fresh cherries makes it a refreshing treat.
Prep time: 1 minute
Mixing time: 1 minute
Servings: 1
Calories: 220
Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- 5 fresh cherries
- 3-4 oz soda water - to top up
- Lemon slice and cherry - for garnish, optional
Equipment
- Collins Glass
- Muddler
- Shaker
- Cocktail Strainer
- Fine strainer
- Measuring Jigger
- Bar spoon or long stirrer
Instructions
- Prep Glass: Fill a Collins glass with ice cubes. Give it a stir to chill it and set it aside.
- Prep Cherries: Remove the pits from 5 fresh cherries.
- Muddle Cherries: In your shaker, add the cherries and 1 oz fresh lemon juice. Muddle well to extract the flavor from the cherries.
- Add Simple Syrup: Add ¾ oz simple syrup.
- Add Gin: Measure and pour 2 oz Gin into the shaker as well.
- Shake: Fill the shaker with ice, close it, and give it a good shake (10-15 seconds).
- Strain: Remove the ice in the Collins glass and refill it with fresh, new ice cubes. Then, using both the cocktail strainer and the fine strainer, strain the shaken drink into the ice filled glass.
- Top with Soda: Top off with approx. 3-4 oz soda water (adjusting to taste and to the size of the glass).
- Stir: Using a bar spoon or long stirrer, stir gently to combine.
- Garnish: Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry (fresh or candied) and serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutes:
- Gin: If you're out of Gin, vodka is a great substitute that won't alter the flavor profile too much. For a non-alcoholic version, several non-alcoholic gins on the market do an excellent job mimicking the botanicals found in Gin.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch if you don't have fresh lemons, but I always recommend fresh when possible. Fresh lime juice can also be an option.
- Simple Syrup: You can easily make your own simple syrup at home. Simply mix equal parts sugar and water over low heat, mix well to dissolve the sugar completely and let it cool down to room temperature before using. Agave nectar or honey syrup (2 parts honey to 1 part warm water) can be used as a substitute for simple syrup, or even cherry syrup for a fruitier cocktail.
- Fresh cherries: Frozen cherries can work in a pinch, as well as unsweetened cherry purée. You can also use cherry syrup instead of simple syrup for an extra cherry touch or if fresh cherries are not in season.
Making a Pitcher of Cherry Collins:
- Scale: To make a pitcher that serves 8, multiply all the ingredients by 8. That would be 16 oz of Gin, 8 oz of fresh lemon juice, 6 oz of simple syrup, and about 35-40
- Mix: In a large pitcher, muddle the cherries (remove the pits before), then add the Gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Let it rest for 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse. Then, add ice and stir well.
- Serve: Strain to remove the ice and the muddled cherries, pour into ice filled Collins glasses and top up with a dash of club soda. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and a maraschino cherry and serve immediately. If you have some leftovers, be sure to keep it in the fridge (make sure no ice cubes are left inside) in an airtight container.
Making it Non-Alcoholic:
- Gin Substitute: Use a non-alcoholic gin substitute; these are available and reasonably mimic Gin's botanicals.
- Proceed As Usual: Use this non-alcoholic substitute instead of the regular Gin, follow the original steps, and enjoy a non-alcoholic version.