John Collins

The John Collins is a tall, easygoing gin highball — London dry gin, fresh lemon juice, and a touch of sugar lengthened with soda over ice. First attested in print in 1869, the drink takes its name from a Limmer's Old House headwaiter remembered in Mayfair lore, and it sits beside the Tom Collins, which leans on Old Tom gin instead. Built gently in the glass so the bubbles survive, it drinks bright, citrusy, and refreshing.