Hannah Chamberlain's Tomato Collins

Name: Hannah Chamberlain's Tomato Collins
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 1 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz. lemon cucumber gin (or London dry gin); 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice; 3/4 oz. Tomato Syrup (recipe follows); Cherry tomatoes; Club soda, chilled; basil leaf, to garnish

This refreshing cocktail proves that tomatoes belong in more than just salads.

By Kate MerkerPublished: Jul 19, 2026

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Two refreshing drinks with basil and tomatoes served in tall glasses.

Mike Garten

Yields:

1 serving(s)

Total Time:

2 hrs 15 mins

Most tomato cocktails lean savory, but Hannah Chamberlain takes things in a completely different direction by tapping into tomatoes’ natural sweetness. With this recipe, she transforms peak-season cherry tomatoes into a bright, refreshing Collins.

The super-easy tomato syrup is what makes this drink so memorable. Just two ingredients (cherry tomatoes and sugar), a little muddling and a bit of time and you get a beautiful blush-colored syrup bursting with bright tomato flavor. Paired with a lemon-cucumber gin, it is just unexpected enough to get people excited. So, if you're looking for something a little more interesting than your usual summer spritz, this is it.

“As a kid, I’d eat sweet cherry tomatoes by the handful. This cocktail captures that just-picked flavor—bright, delicate, and slightly savory—blended with citrus and bubbles for a crisp, refreshing drink.” —Hannah Chamberlain

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Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. lemon cucumber gin (or London dry gin)
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. Tomato Syrup (recipe follows)
Cherry tomatoes
Club soda, chilled
basil leaf, to garnish

Directions

1. Step 1Add gin, lemon juice, and tomato syrup to a shaker ¾ full of ice. Shake 10 to 15 sec., then double strain (pour through a cocktail shaker over a fine-mesh strainer) into a collins glass (or a goblet) filled with ice and several whole cherry tomatoes. Top with club soda and stir 12 times to combine, then top with a basil leaf and serve.
Tomato Syrup
1. Step 1Add 1 1/4 cups sugar to a medium bowl along with 1 16-ounce container cherry tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes into the sugar (I use a muddler) and stir until well combined. Allow it to sit until the mixture turns light pink and syrupy, 1 to 2 hr., stirring occasionally. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the solids, then store the syrup in the fridge. (Note: The sugar may not dissolve 100%, and that’s OK.) Makes 1 1/2 cups.