Old Tom Gin Is Best Enjoyed When Served In This Beloved 150-Year-Old Cocktail - Tasting Table

"You may know you like a London dry gin in a martini, but there's a somewhat lesser-known style out there, and the best way to enjoy it is in an arguably more famous cocktail: a classic Tom Collins with Old Tom gin. This is because Old Tom is a sweeter, richer gin, an ideal balance for the lemon juice and soda water in a Tom Collins."

"Any Collins cocktail refers to a spirit with citrus and sugar, topped with soda water. It's essentially a sour cocktail, made "long" - a bit lower in overall alcohol and more of a leisurely sipper - with carbonation. A modern Tom Collins often calls for London dry gin. But truly, one of the best gins for a Tom Collins is Old Tom, because the components of a Collins are a perfect balance for Old Tom's sweetness and fuller body."

Gin spans many substyles with distinct flavors and serving recommendations. Old Tom is a loosely defined, sweeter, richer gin than London dry and less malt-forward than genever. A Collins cocktail combines spirit, citrus, sugar, and soda water to create a long, lower-alcohol sour with effervescence. Old Tom's sweetness and fuller body pair exceptionally well with bright, acidic lemon juice and crisp soda water, producing a richer yet balanced Tom Collins. Tom Collins historically used Old Tom gin, and 1800s pub owners often flavored neutral grain spirits, sometimes sweetening them with ingredients like licorice.

Read at Tasting Table