Summer Whisky Collins Cocktail – Lipstick, Lettuce & Lycra

I’m pretty sure we all know how I feel about cocktails.

HINT: I like them a lot.

I’m a big fan of cocktails that taste like the spirits used to make them. I love a well made Manhattan, or an ice cold Martini. These kind of drinks need to be made with good ingredients as a cheap spirit will be really noticeable.

Anyway, where all this is leading up to is that a few weeks ago I was contacted by a company called Alexander & James to try out one of their cocktail sets.

Alexander & James sell premium spirits and luxury sets that make the most beautiful gifts. If you know someone with a love for unusual and fine spirits, this is definitely the place to look for a special present.

A&J asked me to pick something from their website, and I made a beeline right for the Whisky section. This disappointed Mr Chick who was hoping I would pick some gin. However, I say TOUGH to Mr Chick as Whisky is my favourite spirit, and I really wanted to make a summery cocktail out of something that is considered a wintery spirit.

There was a great selection to chose from, and eventually I picked out the Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Gift Set. It comes with 2 Highball glasses decorated in real gold, which are absolutely gorgeous. When the gift set arrived I did a proper “WOW”. The packaging just screams luxury.

Johnny Walker Gold Label Luxury Gift Set

Seeing as there were fancy highball glasses included in the gift set, it was a perfect set to make a long, refreshing, summery drink.

This is a variation on a Tom Collins. The Tom Collins is a classic cocktail, dating from the 1870s, made with gin, lemon, sugar and carbonated water. This version uses whisky and soda water to make a whisky collins cocktail. Whisky is a great warming spirit to drink neat, but if you want something more refreshing the intense whisky flavour is delicious in this really simple cocktail.