The Ted Perez cocktail of the week is the Tom Collins.
The first Tom Collins recipe appeared in the 1876 edition of Jerry Thomas’ “The Bartender’s Guide”. It is believed that Thomas created the recipe in response to the Great Tom Collins hoax of 1874. Regardless of muse, a job well done Jer.
The Tom Collins went toe-to-tip with another popular cocktail of the day - the Gin Fizz. Both showcased gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and a frothed water but the Gin Fizz contained “three dashes of lemon juice”, while the Tom Collins contained a deliberately larger quantity that made it very similar to a ‘Gin and Sparkling Lemonade’. The cocktail quickly become popular and was named "a favorite drink in demand everywhere" in the 1878 edition of The Modern Bartender’s Guide. In 1891, the original sweetener, that contained gum syrup, was replaced by the use of sugar and Old Tom gin (a sweetened gin popular in 18th century England). The modern take on the classic highball, which is similar to the version Ted Perez tested, was introduced in 1986 in The Book of Cocktails.
Ted Perez Version:
2oz gin
1oz lemon juice
1tsp simple syrup
~3oz Pellegrino Sparkling Water
Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a highball or Collins glass filled with ice. Top with ~3oz of Pellegrino sparkling water. Garnish with a single Maraschino cherry.
Bluecoat Gin
Bluecoat [hero image] is an American Dry Gin that’s distilled five times at the Bluecoat distillery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This gin is formulated using organic juniper berries, a proprietary blend of organic American citrus peels and other organic botanicals. Bluecoat is distilled in custom-build, hand-hammered copper pot stills and uses a true batch distillation (a process that involves slow heating of the pot to ensure a maximum separation of alcohols).
Combination was very light and cool/refreshing. There was a subtle but well pronounced flavor offered by the Bluecoat, however, the lemon was a bit tart and overpowering. This version could use additional simple syrup to help cut the tartness of the lemon. Finish was short and smooth with no bite. Very drinkable.
Junipero Gin
Produced at Anchor Distillery on Potrero Hill in San Francisco, Junipero gin is produced by hand in the classic tradition that includes the use of more than a dozen botanicals (in their natural state) in small copper stills. The Anchor Distillery, which is a branch of the Anchor Brewing Company, was established in 1993 and focuses on creating very small batches of traditionally distilled spirits.
Pronounced tanginess in this version as well, however, not as strong as the Bluecoat. The gin flavor (juniper berry, lemon peel and slight spice) was more prominent along with the alcoholic bite. Also very cool and refreshing with a slightly longer and stronger finish. Good overall with moderate drinkability.
Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
Hayman Distillers is the longest serving family owned gin distiller in England. Their Old Tom Gin is based off of an original recipe from the family archives. This botanically intensive spirit is created off the original Old Tom gin that was hugely popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cocktails such as the Tom Collins and Gin Fizz are most accurately made with an Old Tom gin such as Hayman’s.
Since Hayman’s is an Old Tom gin, it gave the cocktail more of a sweet edge. This helped cut out the sour notes to yield a nice, balanced sweet tanginess. Also, as the drink was less sour, the spicy citrus flavors from the Hayman’s was able to come out. Excellent, balanced combination with a very smooth finish.
Leopold’s American Small Batch Gin
Leopold Bros. Distillery handcrafts, hand bottles, hand labels and hand numbers each bottle of their American gin. Master Distiller Todd Leopold handcrafts every batch in a small 40 gallon copper still. Uniquely American botanicals like hand-zested Florida Oranges and California Pummelos distinguish this from its English counterparts.
Another slightly tangy combination. The increase in the amount of simple syrup helped to cut the sour edge, while the gin offered a light, crisp flavor (this was the least “gin-like” of those tested). Soft mouth feel led through to a smooth tangy finish.
Port of Barcelona Gin
Port of Barcelona Gin is produced in the Kingdom of Spain by the Esmerelda Distillery. This triple distilled spirit contains botanicals like wild juniper berry, sweet almonds, hazelnuts, lemon zest, star anise, orange peels, coriander seeds and black cardamom, among others. It is also distilled with the addition of malt in the same copper alembic stills used for Obsella, the distillery’s signature absinthe.
This gin yielded the most unique flavors of those tested. Heavy notes of rich botanicals and spices (coriander and star anise) dominated with a slight maltiness on the backend. An absinthe-like nose was also intriguing. Overall, the potent flavors of the gin came through over the tanginess of the lemon. Smooth with a moderately long finish.
Verdict
While each gin brought an interesting dynamic to the cocktail [and despite our obsession with Bluecoat], the Hayman's Old Tom gin brought what Ted Perez felt was the most accurate and balanced representation of the original favorite. The sweetness of the Hayman's gin worked in conjunction with the simple syrup to cut down the sour aspect of the drink, making it more palatable. For the most unique combination, Port of Barcelona offered the most in terms of interesting and dynamic flavor. The wide range of botanicals and absinthe backdrop made for a unique list of flavors.
