The Tom Collins

What's not to like about the Tom Collins? First off, it's easy to make. Unlike fussier cocktails, you don't need any hard-to-find ingredients or fancy liquors. With this drink, you could stop by the CVS on your way home and be set. In fact, you probably have everything you need at home right now. And while it's famously made with dry gin, you can swap it out for nearly any other spirit—vodka, rum, tequila, rye—and end up with an equally tasty drink. Essentially a sour served tall and topped up with soda, the Tom Collins is a refreshing sipper. A grown up, more sophisticated glass of lemonade to enjoy before dinner or in the middle of a warm afternoon.