Updated March 2026.
The IBA card is a John Collins: 45 ml gin, 30 ml fresh lemon, 15 ml simple syrup, and 60 ml soda. The same page says use Old Tom gin for a Tom Collins. That 45 ml of 40% gin is one NIAAA standard drink; at Tanqueray’s US 47.3% it is about 1.18. “Best gin” is the bottle that still tastes like juniper after lemon and soda — not a 2023 top-15 tasting.
Old Tom is historically slightly sweeter. London Dry (Tanqueray, Beefeater, Bombay) is the usual grocery substitute. Related: gin for a G&T, gin types.
What the highball actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IBA Tom Collins | Old Tom (Hayman’s and similar when you see them) | IBA footnote. Not a second legal class |
| John Collins / London Dry | Tanqueray 47.3% US, Bombay 47%, Beefeater 40% | Legal gin. Higher proof = more ethanol |
| Budget | Seagram’s Extra Dry, Gordon’s US | Usually 40%. Seagram’s |
| Skip | Flavored gin liqueurs under 40% | Different class |
Four IBA Collinses at 40% are four drinks from the gin. Soda adds no ethanol. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Hours are state law.
Sources
- IBA John Collins (fetched 2026): 45 ml gin, 30 ml lemon, 15 ml syrup, 60 ml soda; Old Tom for Tom Collins.
- TTB gin identity. NIAAA (December 2025). No invented ranking or MSRP.