Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Gin Cocktails

Raspberry Collins

Raspberry Collins cocktail garnished with mint, lemon and raspberries

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The classic Collins formula is simple: a base spirit, some citrus, a sweetener and a carbonated ingredient. The most famous example of all, the Tom Collins, follows that template and features gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda in a well-balanced and refreshing package that has been quenching thirsts since the 19th century. The recipe is a winning combination, but it still leaves room for enterprising bartenders and drinkers to add their own marks with fruits, herbs, liqueurs and other modifiers.

The Raspberry Collins tweaks the classic with—you guessed it—raspberries. The vitamin-packed fruit is muddled with simple syrup, creating a quick raspberry syrup that infuses the cocktail with a rich blend of sweetness and tartness. That flavor carries through into the dry, botanical gin and fresh lemon juice, and it’s all tied together with an effervescent pour of club soda.

Keep the process simple by building the drink in the same glass you serve it in, so you don’t need to bother with mixing glasses or shaker tins. And if you don’t have a muddler, don’t fret—a wooden spoon or the flat end of a bar spoon can do the job.

You can showcase the Raspberry Collins whenever raspberries are in season, which is usually summer through fall. Besides being delicious, it’s also a gorgeous-looking drink, making it a perfect choice for group brunches, parties, showers and other celebrations. It’s impossible to have anything other than a good time with a Raspberry Collins in hand.

Ingredients

  • 2 raspberries

  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup

  • 2 ounces gin

  • 1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

  • Club soda, chilled, to top

  • Garnish: 2 raspberries

  • Garnish: 1 lemon wheel

  • Garnish: 1 mint sprig

Steps

  1. In a highball glass, muddle the raspberries and simple syrup.

  2. Add the gin and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

  3. Fill with ice and top with the club soda.

  4. Garnish with two raspberries, a lemon wheel and a mint sprig.