Four-Peel Collins — A gin Collins carrying four kinds of citrus peel at once

Four-Peel Collins

A gin Collins carrying four kinds of citrus peel at once

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ozLemon Juice
    Fresh
  • 6 dashesCitrus Bitters
    Built on the pith of several citrus fruits
    Substitute: A lemon or grapefruit bitters, one fruit at a time
  • 3 ozSoda Water
    Ice-cold
  • 2 ozGin
    A London dry gin
    Substitute: Vodka, if the botanicals are getting in the way
  • 1/2 ozSimple Syrup
    Sugar and water 1:1

Instructions

  1. Shake 2 oz gin, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup and 6 dashes citrus bitters with ice
  2. Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice
  3. Add 3 oz cold soda, stir once and garnish with a grapefruit twist

Technique Notes

Add the soda before the last stir, not after it. A Collins that gets stirred once with the soda already in keeps its lift; one stirred first and topped later separates into a sweet bottom and a flat top.

Why the Four-Peel Collins Works

Most citrus bitters are one fruit stated clearly. This one is four kinds of pith at once, which reads as breadth rather than brightness and gets lost against a strong modifier. A Collins gives it length, dilution and nothing to argue with.