Blueberry Collins Cocktail (Gin Pitcher Recipe)

A blueberry collins is a Tom Collins made with homemade blueberry syrup: simmer 1½ cups blueberries with 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water, stir that syrup into a pitcher with 2 cups gin and ¾ cup lemon juice, then top each glass with club soda. It makes 8 drinks and takes 25 minutes (5 minutes of prep, 20 on the stove).

It’s also my go-to for the friend who swears they hate gin. I whipped up a big pitcher of this one spring, when summertime was already on my mind, and handed a glass to Kevin. He asked whether there was any booze in it because he couldn’t taste any. (Um, yes, Kevin. There are TWO CUPS OF BOOZE in this pitcher, so drink in moderation!)

What is a blueberry collins?

A blueberry collins is a Tom Collins (gin, lemon juice, sugar, and club soda served over ice) with blueberry syrup standing in for the plain sugar. You get a tall, tart-sweet, fizzy gin cocktail that looks fancier than the effort it takes.

This version is built as a pitcher, so you stir once and pour eight glasses instead of shaking drinks one at a time while your guests hover.

Why does this gin cocktail work for people who think they hate gin?

Because the blueberry syrup, lemon juice, and club soda soften the gin, so the piney juniper flavor that turns a lot of people off is not the first thing you taste. Each glass has about 2 ounces of gin, cushioned by ¾ ounce of lemon juice, the blueberry syrup, ice, and about ¼ cup of club soda.

This cocktail doesn’t have that weird pine needle-y aftertaste that can come along with many gin-based drinks. I think the key is good gin, which gets its own section below. Fair warning: if juniper is a hard no for you, I can’t promise a conversion. But it worked on Kevin.

What ingredients do you need for a blueberry collins?

This recipe serves 8 and uses six ingredients, plus lemon slices if you want to be fancy:

• 1½ cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups gin
• ¾ cup lemon juice (about 4 medium lemons)
• 2 cups club soda
• Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Per glass, that works out to about 2 ounces of gin, ¾ ounce of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of club soda. The recipe card lists 261 calories per serving. Need a smaller or bigger batch? Here’s the math:

Ingredient	Half batch (4 servings)	Full batch (8 servings)	Double batch (16 servings)
Fresh blueberries	¾ cup	1½ cups	3 cups
Sugar	½ cup	1 cup	2 cups
Water	¼ cup	½ cup	1 cup
Gin	1 cup	2 cups	4 cups
Lemon juice	6 tablespoons	¾ cup	1½ cups
Club soda	1 cup	2 cups	4 cups

Use a bigger saucepan for the double batch.

How do you make a blueberry collins pitcher?

You make a blueberry syrup on the stove, strain it, stir it into a pitcher with the gin and lemon juice, and add club soda glass by glass. Here are the steps:

1. Simmer the syrup. Combine 1½ cups blueberries, 1 cup sugar, and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the blueberries are very soft and have released most of their juice. Stir, stir, stir!
2. Strain it. Let the mixture cool a little, then pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or pitcher. Press on the berries to squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then toss the leftover blueberry guts.
3. Stir the pitcher. Pour the syrup into a pitcher (if it isn’t in one already), then add 2 cups gin and ¾ cup lemon juice. Add enough ice to fill the pitcher and stir until the mixture is well chilled.
4. Pour and top. Fill glasses with ice, fill each about ¾ full with the cocktail mixture, and top with about ¼ cup club soda. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Pro tip: be careful not to open the club soda too fast if you’ve just shaken the bottle a little when taking it out of the fridge. Don’t ask me how I know this.

What kind of gin is best for a blueberry collins?

Use a good gin, not the cheapest bottle on the bottom shelf. None of that cheap-o stuff, people! Gin is the only spirit in the pitcher, so it’s the one place you really taste the difference. (I used gin from a local craft distillery for this batch.)

What should you serve with a blueberry collins?

Something salty and easy to eat with one hand. This pitcher was made for backyard barbecues, so put out a big bowl of chips or a tray of my pulled pork nachos, and keep the glasses coming.

If the party runs long and someone wants a second kind of drink, my frozen rosé is the other summer sipper I’d hand out. You’ll find more in the Beverages section.

These cocktails are best consumed with friends, preferably on a sunny porch or poolside. Just sayin’.

If you make a pitcher, tell me in the comments what your gin-skeptic friend said. And leave a star rating on the recipe card while you’re there, since it helps other people find the recipe.

Blueberry collins FAQ

Is a blueberry collins the same as a Tom Collins?

Almost. A Tom Collins is gin, lemon juice, sugar, and club soda over ice. A blueberry collins swaps the plain sugar for a homemade blueberry syrup (1½ cups blueberries, 1 cup sugar, and ½ cup water, simmered about 20 minutes and strained). Everything else stays the same.

What does a blueberry collins taste like?

Tart, fruity, and fizzy, with the lemon up front and the blueberry syrup adding sweetness. The gin sits in the background. It doesn’t have the pine needle-y aftertaste many gin drinks do, which is why Kevin couldn’t taste the booze.

How long does a blueberry collins take to make?

25 minutes: 5 minutes of prep and 20 minutes on the stove simmering the blueberry syrup.

Do I need to strain the blueberry syrup?

Yes. After the 20-minute simmer, let the mixture cool a little, then pour it through a fine-mesh strainer and press on the berries to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. The leftover berry solids get tossed.

How many drinks does one pitcher make?

Eight. Each glass has about 2 ounces of gin, ¾ ounce of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of club soda, and the recipe card lists 261 calories per serving.