John Collins
Highballs & Fizzes · Gin
- Strength
- 10.9%
- Std. drinks
- 1.01
- Calories
- 142
- Sugar
- 10.0 g
- 1½ ozGin45 ml
- 1 ozLemon juice30 ml
- ½ ozSimple syrup15 ml
- 2 ozSoda water60 ml
The ratio · 3 : 2 : 1 : 4
Highlighted: not in the Kentucky Buck.
Head to head
John Collins and Kentucky Buck side by side: what changes in the recipe, the balance, the strength and the calories.
The difference, by the numbers
Both have lemon juice and simple syrup. Only the John Collins has gin and soda water; only the Kentucky Buck has strawberries, bourbon, Angostura bitters and ginger beer. In parts, a John Collins is 3 gin, 2 lemon, 1 syrup and 4 soda; a Kentucky Buck is ½ lemon, ¼ syrup, 1 whiskey and 1 ginger beer. By volume, the John Collins is 40% mixer and juice, 30% spirit, 20% citrus and 10% syrup and sugar; the Kentucky Buck is 38% mixer and juice, 38% spirit, 14% citrus and 10% syrup and sugar. That makes them close cousins on the ratio map.
The Kentucky Buck is the stronger drink in the glass (11.4% ABV against 10.9%) and holds more alcohol (1.56 standard drinks against 1.01). The Kentucky Buck has more calories (about 222 against 142) and more sugar (16.4 g against 10.0 g). Both are served in a highball; the John Collins is built, the Kentucky Buck shaken.
Highballs & Fizzes · Gin
The ratio · 3 : 2 : 1 : 4
Highlighted: not in the Kentucky Buck.
Highballs & Fizzes · Whiskey
The ratio · ½ : ¼ : 1 : 1
Highlighted: not in the John Collins.
Each drink sits nearer the corners it has more of: spirit, vermouth and bitter, citrus, mixer, syrup or liqueur. The gray dots are the other classics. Explore the full ratio map.
John Collins vs.
Kentucky Buck vs.