Where Is Tom Collins? From a New York Hoax to the Best Cocktail Bars in Krakow

Have you ever walked into a bar and asked about someone you’d never met?
In 1874, on the streets of New York and Philadelphia, that question could lead you straight into one of the most absurd and brilliant jokes in history – a hoax that gave the world an immortal cocktail.

Tom Collins is not just a drink; he’s a legend sealed inside a tall glass, a character living somewhere between myth and reality, with a story as refreshing as his flavor.
Imagine a perfectly balanced composition: the botanical sharpness of gin, the luminous acidity of fresh lemon, the delicate sweetness of sugar syrup, and the effervescent sparkle of soda water.
It’s the essence of elegance and simplicity – a drink that, for nearly 150 years, has stood as a symbol of summer freshness and timeless style.

But the story of Tom Collins is more than just a recipe. It’s a journey — through smoky London gentlemen’s clubs, noisy American saloons, and the cocktail menus of the most respected bartenders in history. And that journey isn’t over.
Today, the search for the perfect Tom Collins is inseparable from discovering the cocktail scene — and few cities offer a more fascinating backdrop for that adventure than Krakow.

The vibrant Krakow nightlife is a labyrinth of possibilities: from historic Krakow old town bars, where centuries echo through vaulted cellars, to the artistic alleys of Kazimierz, where every pub Krakow has its own soul.

This article is your guide through both worlds. Together, we’ll unravel the mystery of Tom Collins’s birth, explore who really created him, and learn how to craft his perfect version. And once we’ve uncovered his secrets, we’ll set off to find where his spirit lives today — the best cocktail bars Krakow that honor tradition while giving it a contemporary twist.
Because ultimately, the question “Where is Tom Collins?” today means “Where in Krakow can I find the perfect cocktail?”
Let’s find the answer.

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The Mystery of His Birth: English Gentleman or American Joke?

The history of every great cocktail reads like a detective novel — full of conflicting clues, unreliable witnesses, and colorful characters.
In the case of Tom Collins, we have two main suspects, separated by the Atlantic Ocean and two very different temperaments.
On one hand, there’s a logical, evolutionary story born in Victorian London; on the other, an anecdote about a mass-scale prank that took America by storm.
Which one is true? Perhaps both contain a grain of it.

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Story One – John Collins, the Gentleman of London’s Limmer’s Hotel

Our time travel begins in London in the 1860s, in a place called Limmer’s Old House Cocktail Bar.
It was a popular hotel and café, famous for its clientele of aristocrats and army officers — a crowd that valued fine spirits and hearty laughter.
The head waiter and bartender there was a man named John Collins, known for his specialty — a refreshing gin-based punch that soon became known simply as the John Collins.

The key detail of this story lies in the type of alcohol used.
At that time, the base spirit was Genever, also known as “Holland gin” — a Dutch malted, slightly sweet liquor considered the ancestor of modern gin.
Over time, English tastes evolved, and a local, mildly sweet gin known as Old Tom gained popularity.
Bartenders, moving with the times, began replacing Genever with Old Tom Gin.
That seemingly small change in recipe brought a change in name.
Because the drink was now made with Old Tom Gin, it naturally evolved from “John Collins” into “Tom Collins.”

This version of history is elegant, logical, and supported by clues from the era — including a rhyme immortalizing the barman:

My name is John Collins, head waiter at Limmer’s,
Corner of Conduit Street, Hanover Square,
My chief occupation is filling brimmers,
For all the young gentlemen frequenters there.

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Story Two – The Great Tom Collins Hoax of 1874

Now let’s cross the ocean to New York and Philadelphia, 1874.
That’s where a far more colorful, absurd, and brilliantly catchy story unfolded.

It all began with a simple prank. The script went like this:
A trickster would approach a friend — or a stranger — and ask with feigned concern whether they’d heard what Tom Collins had been saying about them.
Rumor had it that this mysterious man was spreading the worst lies and insults in local bars.

In a time when matters of honor were taken seriously (often settled with fists), such a provocation triggered instant outrage.
The victim, fuming with anger, would storm off in search of the elusive Tom Collins — running from bar to bar, from cocktail bar to cocktail bar, demanding to see him.
Of course, Tom Collins didn’t exist.
He was a 19th-century urban legend, spreading like wildfire.

The prank became so popular that newspapers picked it up, publishing fake sightings and reports of his supposed whereabouts. People even wrote songs about him.

The genius of the story lies in the reaction of one New York bartender.
Seeing furious men rush into his establishment every few minutes asking for Tom Collins, he decided to make the most of it.
Instead of explaining that no such person existed, he smiled and said:

“Yes, I have Tom Collins.”
Then he served them a tall glass of gin, lemon, sugar, and soda — and that’s how the cocktail got its name.

It was a masterstroke.
The drink fit the situation perfectly — cooling hot tempers and turning frustration into pleasure.

Although the John Collins story is likely closer to chronological truth, it was the American hoax that gave the cocktail its legendary status.
It illustrates a timeless truth that still applies today — from 19th-century saloons to any cocktail bar Krakow:
a good story sells better than a dry fact.

The “Great Tom Collins Hoax” was funny, engaging, and easy to remember.
It made ordering a Tom Collins more than just asking for a drink — it made it a cultural moment.
It wasn’t just the flavor but the story that made Tom Collins immortal.

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The Immortal Recipe: How Jerry “The Professor” Thomas Defined a Classic

Every legend needs someone to write it down.
In mixology, that person was Jerry “The Professor” Thomas — the iconic figure considered the father of American bartending.

He was a showman, an innovator, and the author of “The Bar-Tender’s Guide” (also known as “How to Mix Drinks or The Bon-Vivant’s Companion”), first published in 1862.
It was the first cocktail book in U.S. history — a true bible for anyone serious about the art of drink-making.

And it was in the second, expanded edition of 1876 that the Tom Collins recipe appeared for the first time.
That moment was crucial.
Thanks to Thomas, a drink that had emerged from either London’s bars or New York’s pranks was officially documented and entered the global canon.

His recipe read:

5 or 6 drops of gum syrup
Juice of one small lemon
1 large wine glass of gin
2 or 3 lumps of ice
“Shake well and pour into a large bar glass. Fill with ordinary soda water and drink while lively.”

Two elements stand out.
First, “gum syrup” wasn’t ordinary sugar syrup — it contained gum arabic, giving drinks a silky texture.
Second, Thomas didn’t specify which gin to use.
Cocktail historians like David Wondrich speculate that given the era and Thomas’s other recipes (such as for Gin Fizz, which used Holland Gin), he likely meant Genever or Old Tom Gin — certainly not the dry London style that became dominant later.

The publication of this recipe was monumental.
It was like releasing open-source code for the cocktail world.
Before Thomas, recipes were secrets — passed from master to apprentice behind the bar.
Thomas democratized that knowledge.

His guide allowed bartenders across America — and soon the world — to replicate Tom Collins consistently.
That standardization transformed him from a local curiosity into an international star.

The principles of precision and consistency established by “The Professor” remain the foundation of every good drink bar Krakow today.
Thanks to him, we know that classic cocktails aren’t accidents — they’re defined works of art.

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The Anatomy of Perfection: The Modern Tom Collins Recipe

After tracing the drink’s turbulent history, it’s time to move from theory to practice.
The modern Tom Collins, while born from Jerry Thomas’s version, has evolved into a symbol of elegant simplicity — a refined, sparkling lemonade for adults.

It requires no fancy techniques or exotic ingredients, but as always, the devil is in the details: the quality of each component and the precision of proportions.

The Four Pillars of a Perfect Tom Collins:

Gin:
The soul of the drink.
While the original recipe called for Old Tom Gin — slightly sweeter and rounder — the modern standard is a high-quality London Dry Gin.
Its dry, botanical profile with a crisp juniper backbone perfectly supports the citrus brightness and sweetness.
The choice of gin defines the cocktail’s character.

Lemon Juice:
The heart of freshness.
No compromises — it must be freshly squeezed.
Bottled or boxed juices contain preservatives and flat flavors that destroy balance.
Fresh lemon brings that vibrant, aromatic acidity that makes a true Tom Collins sing.

Sugar Syrup:
Balances acidity with a clean sweetness.
The best is homemade: equal parts sugar and water (1:1), heated until dissolved.
It gives you full control over sweetness and consistency.

Soda Water:
Adds life, lightness, and effervescence.
The classic choice is neutral club soda, which brings bubbles without altering flavor.

Technique:
There are two schools of thought.
The original recipe suggests shaking gin, lemon, and syrup with ice, then topping with soda — this chills and aerates the base.
Modern bartenders often build it directly in the glass (“building”), which better preserves carbonation.
Both methods are right — it’s a matter of preference.

Tom Collins is a forgiving drink, inviting experimentation once you master the base formula.
That’s where creativity begins — and why it remains beloved across generations.

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The Great Collins Family: Discover the Many Faces of a Legend

Here’s one of Tom Collins’s biggest secrets: he’s not an only child.
In fact, “Collins” isn’t the name of a single drink, but an entire family of cocktails built on the same brilliant, simple structure.

Understanding this formula opens the door to an endless world of refreshing long drinks — a playground for both home enthusiasts and professional bartenders.

The core DNA of any Collins is simple and perfect:
Base Spirit + Citrus Juice + Sweetener + Soda Water.
Served in a tall Collins or Highball glass with plenty of ice.

That universal structure makes the family so diverse.
Change just one element — the base spirit — and you get a whole new character while keeping the same refreshing soul.

Let’s meet the Collins relatives:

And that’s just the beginning.
Modern bartenders constantly expand the Collins universe — swapping plain syrup for flavored ones (raspberry, elderflower, ginger), adding fresh fruit (strawberries, cucumber, pear slices), or replacing soda with tonic, cider, or even sparkling wine for a French 75-style twist.

The Collins family proves that true classics aren’t rigid traditions but platforms for endless creativity.

Your Tom Collins Adventure Begins at Lastriko

A classic that never goes out of style.

Tom Collins is the essence of simplicity and elegance.
At Lastriko cocktailbar Krakow, we prepare it using only the finest ingredients — clear ice, fresh citrus, and premium gin — all balanced with precision.
Every detail is an invitation to pause, breathe, and celebrate the moment.

After this long journey — from the legends of London’s gentlemen’s clubs to the pulse of Krakow nightlife — you realize that Tom Collins is more than just gin and lemon.
It’s a story that tastes like lightness, grace, and timeless finesse.

Here, at our cocktail bar in the center of Krakow, surrounded by the greenery of our garden and the glow of warm light, this classic drink takes on new life.
We craft it the way we love at Lastriko — with care, elegance, and a touch of playful spirit.

You don’t need to know all the secrets of mixology to feel the magic.
Just sit back, slow down, and let the evening unfold.

Because Lastriko isn’t just another pub Krakow — it’s a space where the art of cocktails meets the rhythm of the city.
Where every sip becomes part of your own story about Krakow nightlife.

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Drink Bar Krakow – Where Taste Meets Emotion

At Lastriko, everything begins with atmosphere.
Our garden, soft lighting, and music create a scene that slows time down — a quiet pause in the middle of the Old Town.
As one of the best bars in Krakow, our drink bar Krakow and club Krakow combine the city’s energy with a sense of calm.

It’s the perfect setting for an evening with friends, a romantic date, or simply a moment for yourself.
Whether you’re exploring the Krakow old town bars, looking for a cozy speakeasy Krakow vibe, or discovering new experiences in bars in Krakow, Lastriko is where flavor and feeling meet.

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Krakow Nightlife, Lastriko Style

If you’re wondering where to find the best cocktail bars Krakow, you’ve already arrived.
Lastriko is the heart of Krakow nightlife — where time moves slower, conversations last longer, and classics taste even better.

Order a Tom Collins, raise your glass, and feel how simplicity becomes art.
Here, in our bar in the center of Krakow, you’ll discover that sometimes one perfectly crafted cocktail is all it takes to make a night unforgettable.

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