Tom Collins

Ingredients:

• 2 fl. oz. gin
• 1 fl. oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• Soda water
• Lemon slice, garnish

Put the gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup in a tall glass, three-quarters filled with ice cubes, and top off with soda water.  Stir, decorate the glass with a slice of lemon, and a stirrer.

Simple Syrup:
To make simple syrup combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.  Store remaining in a jar for later.  Or if you want to be awesome, you can roll a skewer in sugar and let it sit in your syrup for a couple days and make some rock candy.

Everyone knows vodka, rum, and tequila.. but what about gin?  It's time to show gin a little respect; after all, the gin martini is undoubtedly the predecessor to our current flood of mixed drinks.  Gin's simplicity to illegally manufacture led to its rise in popularity during the prohibition.  You think Gin cares about prohibition? Gin is a badass, Gin doesn't care.

Fun Fact: 
Vodka is derived from potatoes, rum from sugar cane, tequila from agave, and gin from juniper berries