Rain rushing outside, things getting cosy inside. That exact moment belongs to our Apple Elderflower Collins: the sofa is conquered, your favourite show is starting – and in the glass, fruity apple meets a whisper of elderflower and a gin that knows its roots.
The Collins is really a summer drink – long, sparkling, refreshing. Our version brings it into autumn: cloudy apple juice adds warmth and texture, elderflower syrup a floral memory of June, and our Madame Geneva Gin holds it all together with clear juniper notes. A drink like an autumn walk followed by the sofa: fresh enough to wake you up, soft enough to settle you in.
The recipe
Ingredients
- Ice cubes
- 5 cl Madame Geneva Gin
- 2 cl fresh lemon juice
- 4 cl cloudy apple juice
- 1 cl elderflower syrup
- Tonic water to top
- Apple or lemon slice to garnish
Method
- Fill a tall glass to the top with ice.
- Pour in gin, lemon juice, apple juice and elderflower syrup.
- Top with tonic water and stir gently once.
- Garnish with an apple or lemon slice – autumn in a glass.
Collins, fizz or spritz – what am I actually drinking?
The Tom Collins belongs to the oldest family of bar classics: spirit, lemon, sugar, sparkle, lots of ice, tall glass. Our version swaps the sugar for elderflower syrup and part of the sparkle for apple juice – topped with tonic, whose gentle bitterness grounds the sweet apple beautifully. Prefer it classic? Use soda instead of tonic: lighter, with the elderflower stepping forward.
The bottle behind it
Madame Geneva Gin is our answer to the question: what did gin taste like a hundred years ago? A retro gin, back to the roots, with juniper at its heart – distilled from two-year-old Tuscan juniper berries by Krugmann in Meinerzhagen, where we've been distilling since 1867. Exactly the kind of gin that won't drown in a fruity Collins.
FAQ
Can I use fresh elderflower instead of syrup?
Tricky in autumn – elder blooms in June. A good syrup (or one you made in summer) is entirely legitimate and keeps the flavour consistent. Elderflower liqueur also works: use 2 cl and reduce the gin to 4 cl.
Which apple juice makes the difference?
Cloudy, unfiltered juice, ideally from heritage varieties – it brings acidity and body. Clear juice from concentrate makes the drink one-dimensionally sweet.
Is there a zero-proof version?
Yes: skip the gin, add 2 cl more apple juice, drop a few crushed juniper berries into the glass and top with tonic – the "Apple Elderflower Nojito" for anyone still driving.
More for grey days
Please enjoy responsibly. Not for sale to anyone under 18.
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