How to Brewch: Sparkling Lemonade Tom Collins

Sparkling Lemonade Tom Collins - Brewch Remix

Brewch Flavor: Lemonade
Difficulty: Easy
Seasons: Spring, Summer
Trend Source: The Tom Collins is the heritage summer highball back in rotation; lemonade-forward builds are the most-ordered porch drink
Theme: Refreshing Summer

The classic Tom Collins with real roadside-stand lemonade.

1. Cocktail Version

Ingredients

• 7 drops Brewch Lemonade
• 2 oz gin
• 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• 4 oz soda water
• Ice | Lemon wheel and a cherry for garnish

Method

1. Add gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Brewch Lemonade to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake for 10 seconds and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.
3. Top with soda water and stir gently.
4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cherry.

Base spirit: Gin (40% ABV) | ABV: low (approx 9-11%) | Glass: Collins glass

2. Mocktail Version (Zero-Proof)

Swaps

• Replace gin -> 2 oz cold soda water or tonic
• Keep: 7 drops Brewch Lemonade, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water

Method

Shake lemon juice, simple syrup, and Brewch Lemonade with ice. Strain over ice, top with soda water (and tonic if you want a dry edge), and garnish.

Zero-proof base: Soda water or tonic | ABV: zero

3. Seltzer Version

Hibiscus Lemonade Seltzer (single 8 oz / 240 ml glass)

• 4 drops Brewch Lemonade
• 1 drop Brewch Hibiscus (accent)
• 8 oz / 240 ml cold sparkling water
• Garnish: Lemon wheel

Method

1. Fill a glass with ice and add 8 oz cold sparkling water.
2. Add 4 drops Brewch Lemonade plus 1 drop Brewch Hibiscus, then stir gently.
3. Garnish and serve immediately.

Seltzer dosing: 3-5 drops primary per 8 oz glass; add accents 1 drop at a time.

4. Why It Works

Lemonade gives a Tom Collins the sweet-tart, slightly fizzy roadside-stand character that fresh lemon and sugar alone struggle to nail. The extract rounds the lemon into proper lemonade, so the highball tastes finished rather than just sour.

5. Pro Tip

Add the soda last and stir minimally to keep the fizz. For a pitcher, batch everything but the soda and top each glass to order.