The Pierre Collins is, true to its name, the French member of the Collins family: where the Tom Collins reaches for gin, “Pierre” turns to brandy and the spirit of cognac.
Shaken with fresh lemon and a touch of sugar, then lengthened with chilled soda over fresh ice and finished with a lemon slice, the brandy’s fruity depth turns bright and lively, opening with citrus and finishing clean and light.
Pale amber and full of fine bubbles, it’s a bright, easygoing refresher well worth pouring tonight.
Recipe & How to Make It
Ingredients
Recipe no.190
- Brandy — 1 + 1/2 oz (45ml)
- Lemon juice — 1/2 oz (15ml)
- Sugar — 1 tsp
- Soda — Full
※ 1 tsp = one bar spoon
※ Full = fill the glass to about 80–90%
How to Make It
Chill the soda in advance.
Squeeze a lemon for fresh juice.
Prepare one lemon slice.
Add the brandy, lemon juice, sugar and ice to the shaker.
Shake firmly, strain into the glass, then add ice.
Top with soda slowly so it doesn’t foam, then stir gently.
For carbonated drinks, stir slowly one or two turns and lift the ice up and down once to mix.
Finish by pressing the lemon slice down into the glass with a bar spoon, and it’s ready.
・Technique ｜ Shake & Stir
・Glass ｜ Collins Glass / Tumbler Glass
・ABV ｜ About 9%
・Best Enjoyed ｜ Any Time / Before Dinner
Pierre Collins Characteristics, Recommendations & Reference Video
Flavor & Character
The Pierre Collins is a member of the Collins family, where each version takes a name that hints at its base spirit. True to its name, “Pierre,” a classic French name, nods to brandy and France’s famous cognac.
Brandy lays a fragrant base, lemon sharpens it with bright acidity, and sugar rounds the edges. Soda adds fine bubbles, so the first sip feels fresh before the brandy’s richness unfolds into a clean, light finish.
I’d use a VS cognac here; its fruity aroma shines through the fizz.
Tips, Twists & Food Pairings
Tips
- Common mistake: leaving sugar undissolved — Granulated sugar dissolves slowly in cold liquid, so grains often settle at the bottom and the first sips taste sour. Use superfine sugar or simple syrup, and shake hard until the outside of the shaker feels icy.
- Shake first, add soda last — Shaking soda knocks out its bubbles and can even force the shaker open. Shake only the brandy, lemon and sugar, then top with soda in the glass to keep the fizz bright and lively.
- Fill the glass with fresh ice — Plenty of fresh, solid ice keeps the drink cold and slows dilution, so the brandy’s aroma stays clear to the last sip. I’d always build over new ice rather than the ice used for shaking.
Twists
- Royal Pierre Collins — Top with chilled Champagne instead of soda. The fine bubbles and toasty notes of the wine pair beautifully with cognac, creating an elegant, celebratory French-style sip.
- Pierre Ginger Collins — Swap the soda for ginger ale. Its gentle spice and sweetness wrap around the brandy’s fruity aroma for a warmer, rounder drink that’s easy to enjoy.
Food Pairings
- Comté cheese — The nutty, slightly sweet cheese echoes brandy’s dried-fruit notes, while lemon and soda refresh the palate after each rich bite.
- Pâté on toasted baguette — Rich, savory pâté is a French bistro classic, and the drink’s bright acidity and bubbles cut through its richness much like a squeeze of lemon.
- Lemon madeleines — These buttery little French cakes share the drink’s citrus notes, and the brandy’s warmth highlights their honeyed sweetness for an easy afternoon pairing.
Recipe Video
- The video shows a Tom Collins. To make a Pierre Collins, simply swap the gin for brandy.
- Recipe Video｜BAR.Channel Channel Home
Tom Collins Variations
- Tom Collins — The original, traditionally made with Old Tom gin
- Grapefruit Collins — A Tom Collins with grapefruit liqueur added
- Vodka Collins — The gin base swapped for vodka
- Rum Collins — The gin base swapped for rum
- Ruben Collins — The gin base swapped for tequila
- John Collins — The gin base swapped for whiskey
- Sandy Collins — The gin base swapped for Scotch whisky
- Michael Collins — The gin swapped for Irish whiskey
- Colonel Collins — The gin base swapped for bourbon
- Captain Collins — The gin swapped for Canadian whisky
