Category Archives: Cocktails

Cocktail of the Week: Tom Collins


Tom Collins

Our friend Joe seems to have had a particularly difficult month of June and requested that I do weekly cocktails for a while.  If people dig this, I’ll keep it up; anyone who knows me knows that I’ll use any excuse to try a new cocktail.  =)

The first time I heard of a Tom Collins was when my mother told me the story of how she and my dad met.  They were in a bar (where I believe a lot of good couples meet) in San Jose, California and she said, “he wanted to buy me a drink and I remember he came to ask me what it was I would have.  I was drinking Tom Collins back then.”  I liked that she talked of a period of her life when she had a drink that she drank exclusively; I think it lends a strange romance to the story and somehow captures time — even crystallizes it.  My mom has little or no idea of how good a story teller she is, and I often wonder if she learned the art from my dad, who was exceptional at regaling an audience with hilarious vignettes.  The major difference between their styles, I would say, is that my mom includes little details that, on the surface, seem of little importance, but that add a richness to scenes that play out from her words.

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Cocktail of the Month: Southside


Southside

Southside

I am not likely to go into the history of the cocktails I choose for the Cocktail of the Month series – I will leave that to more serious food historians. I might make up a little story about why I think each cocktail is named as such, and what kinds of people I imagine concocting them, but unless I otherwise state it, my musings on libations are going to be works of fiction. The reality I present is merely in the formula for creating delicious beverages.

The recipes I offer will be for two drinks, so just double the amount for a small gathering. Please note that I tend to make drinks on the boozy side, so cut back on the spirits and bump up the mixers if you like, especially if you plan on operating a motor vehicle (or anything with wheels) soon after consuming one of my suggestions.  I guess these are disclaimers.  I prefer gin to vodka, any day, and shy away from things that are too sweet or contain raw egg white; I am happy to let you convince me otherwise.

As a general rule, I am not one for fussy drinks, since making more than one round of them often results in a messy kitchen.  This first installment takes a little work, but I firmly believe that the Southside is worth every bit of time and effort.  If the weather ever finally turns to summer, these will be flowing from the Taupe Tower like Victoria Falls; Chicago family, please consider this an open invitation to stop by and drink your fill.

In a large shaker, add in this order:
3 medium spearmint sprigs, coarsely chopped
1 cup of cubed ice
Juice from 1 & 1/2 lemons

2 tablespoons of simple syrup (more, if you like your drinks sweet)
Gin to the ice level
Shake vigorously until the shaker is too cold to hold (my basic rule of shaking) and then strain into two cocktail or coupe glasses. Float on top:
Chilled club soda
Enjoy with a friend or two for yourself. =)

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