This raspberry collins cocktail is a simple combination of gin, raspberries, lemon and soda that's refreshing and fruity. Perfect for summer.

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As the weather warms up, I for one am definitely feeling a cocktail now and then. While I do enjoy a beer and sometimes a glass of wine, a cocktail somehow feels that bit more special. They don't necessarily need to be complicated or take long, either. This raspberry collins cocktail is the perfect fit - easy to make, without any advance prep, and gently fruity and refreshing. Perfect for summer, in other words.

When I volunteered to host today's Foodie Extravaganza, I wasn't immediately drawn to a particular food holiday so I opened it up to a vote. It was close, but gin won. I had wondered about being a little more creative and cooking with gin, but in the end I decided to go for a twist on a classic cocktail, the Tom Collins.

What is a Tom Collins?

A Tom Collins is traditionally made with gin, lemon, simple syrup and club soda. The origins are apparently a bit unclear, but it appeared in an 1876 bartenders' guide, so it is certainly a classic.

These days some bars make it with vodka instead of gin, as I guess some prefer. But being brought up in a house where a G&T was your typical pre-dinner drink on Sundays, it had to be gin for me.

My first experience of this drink, though, wasn't the classic but a raspberry collins cocktail, and other fruity versions, at a small bar in London a few years ago.

The bar was tiny, with about as many pinball soccer/football tables as actual tables. However it was packed with character and color. Plus, they made some great cocktails. The people I was with recommended the berry Collins and I could see why.

Despite that, and especially since this is so easy to make, I haven't made it before now. In all honesty I forgot about it, apart from briefly remembering when I made a strawberry collins a little while back. But I have been getting a bit more back into cocktails recently, like my blueberry cocktail, paloma cocktail and white sangria with whiskey.

It was only a matter of time before I remembered these. I've made a slight variation by using a mix of lemon and lime, as well as honey, as I think the flavors work well, but you can go purist if you like. It will be good either way.

This raspberry collins cocktail now might have to become a bit more of a regular thing, it's got so much going for it. Easy, refreshing, and with a lovely fruitiness. Not to mention a gorgeous color. It's a highly sipable drink perfect for warmer days.

Try these other easy summer cocktails:

Grilled peach mojito
Strawberry collins
Pineapple daiquiri
Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

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5 from 3 votes