through the drinking glass : the collins
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details
Here is the second installation of Through the Drinking Glass - a series on glassware! In through the drinking glass we look at the history, design, and uses of particular types of glassware. It can be intimidating trying to figure out the right glass for a cocktail when you are first getting started making cocktails at home, and hopefully this will help clarify some things!
The collins glass is tall, long, and cylindrical. Any long drink is absolutely perfect for a collins glass! Offering about 10-14 oz., they are great for their namesake collins cocktails, but also plenty of other cocktails! Perfectly lovely for serving soft drinks or anything else really, the Collins glass is a solid choice for a versatile go-to for your home bar!
history of the collins glass
The collins glass has no widely accepted creation story, but it is very likely it was named for the collins cocktails that were traditionally served in it. The Tom Collins cocktail though has a few possible histories behind its name. My personal favorite is the 1874 tom collins hoax!
The 1874 tom collins hoax - The story goes that back in the late 1800s, when bar patrons would talk to each other and convince them that they had just heard a man named Tom Collins talking a bunch of shit about them - saying they don’t pay their debts, they steal, the whole nine. The fellow patrons would understandably get upset and go charging down the street to find said rascal Tom Collins, who, alas, did not exist.
ramos gin fizz in a collins glass at sazerac bar at the roosevelt hotel in New Orleans
design of the collins glass
The collins glass is tall and narrow, and because of this shape, it can keep drinks cool and carbonated for a long time. It carries between 10-14oz, ideally around 12. Incredibly similar to the highball glass, lots of highball cocktails are perfect in the collins glass as well.
what do you serve in a collins glass?
The collins glass is used for many cocktails, for example:
Singapore sling
Mojito
Tom collins
gin & tonic
vodka & soda
whisky & ginger
Ramos gin fizz
alternatives to the collins
The collins glass has a pretty straightforward replacement , as it is extremely similar to the highball glass. The highball is a bit shorter and wider, and often holds fewer ounces, but you can definitely use one for the other in a pinch! A pint glass would do too!
There you go - the collins glass! How do you feel about this glass? What surprised you the most? What are you still curious about? Let me know in the comments below!
some great collins glasses
Quisque iaculis facilisis lacinia. Mauris euismod pellentesque tellus sit amet mollis.