With it looking beautifully sunny for the stretch ahead, we just had to share this gorgeous recipe from SpruceEats which updates the classic Tom Collins into a berry-tastic summer cocktail! Drum roll please… meet the stunning American Collins.

Featuring divine fresh cherries and blueberries, it looks as delicious (and fruity) as it tastes. This American Collins recipe is incredibly easy to make and the way the juniper from the gin complements the sweet berries is simply sublime.

Bing cherries are the best choice for this recipe (as they’re the sweetest), but you can use any cherries you can get your hands on. Who knew sweet cherries and tart blueberries were the perfect pairing?

If you have a slighter sweet tooth, you’ll love this twist on the regular Collins recipe - but it still has the delightfully refreshing finish - thanks to the lemon juice, soda water, and fresh mint we love to garnish it with. All that’s left is to get yourself in the sun with this great summer cocktail in hand. Enjoy!

American Collins

50ml gin
8 fresh blueberries
4 fresh cherries, pitted
15ml simple syrup
2tsp lemon juice
Soda water, to top up
Mint, to garnish (for an extra refreshing finish!)

Add the cherries, blueberries, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a collins glass. Muddle it all together well. Next, add the gin and fill the glass with ice. Stir, then top up with soda water. Garnish with a few blueberries and a sprig of mint. Et voila!

We love the way that @mothers_ruined_gin has recreated this American Collins recipe using our July Gin Of The Month, Chemist American Gin. The light and bright juniper, along with the floral hints of rose make this gin a brilliant choice for the cocktail. And just look at how pretty it looks!