Almost a Collins Cocktail

Almost a Collins Cocktail Recipe with DRY Blood Orange Soda

Dry Soda

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

A tasty and simple vodka cocktail, the "almost a collins" recipe is not quite a collins drink. However, its unique flavor combination is fantastic, so it gets a pass for breaking a few "rules." It is perfect for the colder months of the year and might be the ultimate blood orange cocktail. If you're a fan of the dark, sweet citrus, you'll thoroughly enjoy this drink.

The recipe was created by the Snake Oil Cocktail Company in San Diego, California for Dry Soda Co. It pairs the clean, smooth vodka of Ketel One with blood orange and cinnamon. While the finished flavor may be difficult to imagine, the first sip will prove that it really does work.

The name "almost a collins" references the similarities and differences of this drink to the popular vodka collins. Essentially, this recipe replaces the customary lemon with blood orange juice, plain syrup with cinnamon, and club soda with blood orange soda. It is a fun variation and can offer inspiration for similar substitutions to create your own custom cocktails.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka

  • 1 ounce blood orange juice

  • 1/2 ounce cinnamon simple syrup

  • 3 ounces blood orange soda

  • Blood orange wheel, for garnish

  • Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In an old-fashioned glass filled with ice, build the ingredients by pouring the vodka, blood orange juice, and cinnamon syrup.

  3. Top with blood orange soda and stir.

  4. Garnish with a blood orange wheel speared with a cinnamon stick. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Blood orange juice is easiest to obtain when the fruit is in season, which typically comes during the winter months. They can be juiced just like any other citrus fruit.
  • Bottled blood orange juice is available, though it is not one of the most common commercial juices, so it can be difficult to find. Look for it with the natural and organic foods at grocers.
  • Dry's Blood Orange Soda is unlike any other orange soda you have probably had. This soda has a dark, semi-sweet citrus taste that is naturally flavored and light on the sugar, making it a perfect mixer for cocktails like this.
  • A number of syrup makers, including BG Reynolds, DaVinci, Fabbri, and Torani offer cinnamon-flavored syrup.
  • Alternatively, it's an incredibly easy syrup to make at home. For the cinnamon syrup, all you need is sugar, water, and a cinnamon stick. It's ready in about an hour and is a fantastic coffee and tea sweetener as well.

Recipe Variations

  • Regular orange juice can be used instead of blood orange, though it will be more acidic and not as sweet.
  • Pour a flavored vodka if you like. Good options include ginger, grapefruit, pomegranate, and vanilla.
  • Gin is an excellent base for collins drinks as well—the Tom Collins is one of the most popular recipes in this drink family, after all. It would make a great substitute for the vodka in this recipe.
  • Pouring whiskey is a good option, too. It will pair nicely with blood orange and cinnamon and give the drink a John Collins spin.

How Strong Is an Almost a Collins?

Just like the majority of highball drinks, this recipe is very gentle, with an alcohol content falling right between beer and wine. It will mix up to about 9 percent ABV (18 proof).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
222 Calories
0g Fat
33g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 222
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 24mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 26mg 128%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 111mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)