Vodka Collins: Tall, Refreshing, and an Easy Cocktail to Mix Up

1. Pour the vodka, lemon juice, and syrup in a collins glass with ice cubes.
2. Stir thoroughly.
3. Top with club soda.
4. Garnish with a cherry and orange slice.

More Tips for Making a Great Vodka Collins

Choose your vodka. While almost any vodka will do, this drink is rather transparent and it will only be as good as the liquor you pour into it. That said, you will find that your best Vodka Collins will come from a good vodka.

• Any of the popular premium vodkas are good options.
• Choose wisely when it comes to budget-friendly vodkas, not every one is worthy of clear drinks like this.
• Add a splash of flavor by pouring one of your favorite flavored vodkas. Any fruit flavor works well, thought it's not the best drink for whipped cream and other sweet vodkas.

Also, you will find that the Vodka Collins is an ideal test drink for exploring new vodkas.

Take the sour mix shortcut. You can eliminate the lemon juice and simple syrup in this recipe and use a housemade sour mix instead. In either case, you can always adjust the sweet and sour proportions to find the taste that is perfect for your palate.

How Strong is the Vodka Collins?

You can make the Vodka Collins as tall or short as you like by adjusting the amount of club soda. On average, a 6-ounce drink will create a rather light mix with an alcohol content of around 9% ABV (18 proof).

More Collins Recipes

The recipes that are commonly called “Collins” drinks vary primarily due to the base liquor and, on occasion (mostly in modern recipes), a few extra ingredients. Think of the collins as a tall drink with sweet, sour, and a base liquor that is topped with club soda.

• John Collins - whiskey
• Juan Collins - tequila
• American Collins - gin with blueberries and cherries
• Lavender Sapphire Collins - gin with lavender syrup
• Rhubarb Collins - gin with rhubarb syrup and bitters
• Tom Collins - gin