Kentucky Buck vs. Tom Collins

The difference, by the numbers

Both have lemon juice and simple syrup. Only the Kentucky Buck has strawberries, bourbon, Angostura bitters and ginger beer; only the Tom Collins has gin and soda water. In parts, a Kentucky Buck is ½ lemon, ¼ syrup, 1 whiskey and 1 ginger beer; a Tom Collins is 1 lemon, 2 gin and 2 soda. By volume, the Kentucky Buck is 38% mixer and juice, 38% spirit, 14% citrus and 10% syrup and sugar; the Tom Collins is 39% mixer and juice, 39% spirit, 19% citrus and 3% syrup and sugar. That makes them close cousins on the ratio map.

They are about equally strong in the glass (11.4% and 11.1% ABV), but the Kentucky Buck is the bigger drink, so it holds more alcohol (1.56 standard drinks against 1.35). The Kentucky Buck has more calories (about 222 against 150) and more sugar (16.4 g against 3.5 g). Both are shaken and served in a highball.