Tomas Collins Recipe
Written by Enjoy the season with this Tomas Collins recipe! Combine aquavit, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water, and dill pickle brine.
Prep time: 1 minute
Mixing time: 1 minute
Servings: 1
Calories: 196
Ingredients
- 2 oz Aquavit
- ¾ oz simple syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz dill pickle brine
- 3 oz soda water - to top up
- Ice cubes
- Lime wheel and/or fresh dill sprig - for garnish, optional
Equipment
- Highball or Collins Glass
- Shaker
- Cocktail Strainer
- Measuring Jigger
- Stirrer or Bar Spoon
Instructions
- Prep Glass: Fill your Collins glass with ice cubes. Give it a stir to chill it and set it aside.
- Add Dill Brine: Pour ½ oz dill pickle brine into the shaker.
- Add Simple Syrup: Add ¾ oz simple syrup.
- Add Lemon Juice: Measure and pour ¾ oz fresh lemon juice into the shaker as well.
- Add Aquavit: Finally, add 2 oz Aquavit to the mix.
- Shake: Fill the shaker with ice, close it and give it a good shake (10-15 seconds).
- Strain: Take the Collins glass, discard the ice inside and refill with new, fresh ice cubes. Then, use the cocktail strainer to pour the shaken drink into the ice filled glass.
- Top with Soda: Top off with approx. 3 oz soda water (adjust 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/or a fresh dill sprig and serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutes:
- Aquavit: If you don't have aquavit, you can use Kümmel (a Dutch and German liquor) or caraway schnapps as a substitute. If these options are still difficult to find, try using gin as a substitute; it gives a different but delightful flavor profile. In that case, look for a dry gin that’s heavy on the botanical flavors: a gin made with plants such as dill, anis or fennel would be a good match for this cocktail.
- Simple Syrup: If you don't have any simple syrup, you can easily make some at home by mixing together equal parts of sugar (any kind you like) and hot water. Stir well to dissolve and let it cool down before using it. In the refrigerator, this home-made simple syrup will last for about a month.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: You can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch, but the flavor will be less bright and fresh. Another option is to use fresh lime juice for a slightly different citrus kick.
- Dill Pickle Brine: If you don’t have dill pickle brine on hand, try using a small amount of apple cider vinegar with a pinch of salt for a similar tangy effect. In addition, add a fresh sprig of dill into the shaker prior to shaking to still get that fresh dill flavor. Just make sure to use both a cocktail strainer and a fine strainer when pouring the cocktail into the glass to prevent any bits of dill from falling into the drink.
Making a Pitcher of Tomas Collins:
- Scale: To make a pitcher that serves 8, multiply all the ingredients by 8. That would be 12 16 oz of aquavit, 6 oz of simple syrup, 6 oz of lemon juice, and 4 oz of dill pickle brine.
- Mix: In a large pitcher, combine the aquavit, simple syrup, lemon juice, and dill pickle brine. Add ice and stir well.
- Serve: Strain to remove the ice, serve immediately into ice-filled Highball or Collins glasses and garnish each glass with a lemon slice and/or a fresh dill sprig. 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:
- Aquavit Substitute: Use a non-alcoholic spirit that mimics aquavit's herbal notes, such as a non-alcoholic gin for example. To recreate the herbal notes in the aquavit, you can muddle a few caraway seeds and a small sprig of fresh dill into the shaker prior to shaking. Just make sure to use both a cocktail strainer and a fine strainer when pouring the cocktail into the glass to prevent any bits of dill from falling into the drink.
- Proceed As Usual: Use this non-alcoholic substitute instead of aquavit, follow the original steps, and enjoy a non-alcoholic version.