Yuzu Tom Collins

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Yuzu Tom Collins is a refreshing and exotic twist on the classic drink. Using the fragrant Asian citrus fruit yuzu instead of lemon makes this Tom Collins unique and perfect for summer.

Welcome to another installment of Thirsty Thursday, a series on Sweet Tea and Thyme where cocktails are the focus every Thursday.

Baby, it's hot outside. Like a reverse of the Christmas song, but it's literally 104 degrees outside and we're in the middle of a pandemic so we really should stay. Being on my porch sipping drinks and talking smack with my girl friend Marta from Sense and Edibility is the only thing keeping me from cabin fever lately.

What is yuzu?

Yuzu is a very fragrant citrus fruit found in Japan, Korea, and China that's full of seeds and is extremely tart, much like a lemon! Though it looks more like an off-color and deformed tangerine, its juice and zest are used much like lemons and limes.

While the actual fruit is hard to find here in the U.S. as it is not imported, the juice can be found on Amazon, at Whole Foods, and I've even found it at my local Asian markets.

What's a Tom Collins?

A Tom Collins is an American drink from the 1850's, though the origins of it are lost thanks to Alcohol Prohibition in the U.S. Gotta love U.S. history.

I like to call them 'bubbly lemonades' because it's a simple cocktail made with lemon juice, gin, seltzer, and simple syrup, like a gin sweet and sour with bubbles. Which is perfect for this time of the year.

Tom Collins was served in the barrooms of New York City since 1878, with the first known published recipe being in the 1882 New and Improved Bartender’s Manual or How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style by Harry Johnson.

How to make a yuzu tom collins...

you will need:

• Yuzu juice, which can be found on Amazon.
• Gin
• Club soda or seltzer water
• Simple syrup
• Ice
• Cocktail Shaker
• Tom Collins/Highball Glasses

Shake everything together and pour into a collins glass over ice. Super easy!

Enjoy it immediately, especially on a hot day!

Want more delicious summer drink recipes? Check these out:

• Old Fashioned Southern Lemonade
• Blueberry Moscow Mule
• Watermelon Agua Fresca
• Dalgona Whipped Chocolate
• Sparkling Ginger Strawberry Lemonade