Fig Collins

Fig Collins: a Tom Collins with ripe fruit in the shaker

A Fig Collins takes the Collins framework — gin, lemon, sugar, soda — and puts fresh figs into the shaker. Ripe figs are honeyed and faintly jammy, and they give the drink a rounded middle that a plain Collins never has.

What each ingredient is doing

• 2 ripe figs, about 120 g — they must be soft and slightly wrinkled. A firm fig tastes of nothing.
• 60 ml / 2 oz gin — a botanical gin holds up to the fig better than a neutral one.
• 30 ml / 1 oz fresh lemon juice — fig is low in acid, so the lemon carries the drink.
• 15 ml / 1/2 oz simple syrup — often unnecessary with ripe fruit. Start with 10 ml and taste.
• Soda water, about 60 ml / 2 oz, to top — length and lift.

Measures for one and four

How strong is a Fig Collins?

With 60 ml of 40% ABV gin topped with soda, the finished drink comes out at around 11-12% ABV — close to a spritz. That is roughly 19 ml of pure alcohol and approximately 165 kcal.

Technique: muddle, shake, fine strain

Quarter the figs and muddle them with the syrup for 15 seconds, until the flesh collapses. Add the gin, lemon and ice, shake hard for 12 seconds, then fine-strain into a Collins glass of fresh ice. Fig seeds slip through a Hawthorne strainer, so use a mesh strainer or they settle at the bottom. Top with cold soda and stir once.

What goes wrong

• The fig sits at the bottom — you muddled too gently. Press until the fruit collapses.
• Dull and seedy — you skipped the fine strain, or used under-ripe fruit.

Variations and FAQ

• Fig Collins Royale — replace the soda with dry sparkling wine.

What kind of figs work best?

Black Mission and Brown Turkey: dark skin, deep red flesh and plenty of sugar. Dried figs need rehydrating first.

Can I use vodka instead of gin?

Yes, but the drink becomes simpler and fruitier. Gin’s botanicals stop it tasting like juice.