A cocktail enthusiast whose goal is to have fun and inspire others with tasty libations
In The Cocktail Tonight — The Phil Collins
Phil Collins had an impressive number of top 40 hits during and after his career as the drummer then lead singer of Genesis. “In The Air Tonight” was his first, and perhaps most famous, solo hit. It is a standard on 1980s and classic rock music channels, and it made noteworthy appearances in the Miami Vice TV series and the first Hangover movie. The Hawthorne bar in Boston introduced me to the Phil Collins at an event during Tales on Tour in San Juan.
The Phil Collins
1.5 ounces gin .75 ounces yellow Chartreuse Juice from 1/2 lime Soda water
Combine the first three ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake with the intensity of the famous drum sequence in the song, strain into a chilled glass (a Collins if you have one), and top with soda water. Cucumber or lime garnish optional.
Gin and Chartreuse really go well together. The Bijou and the Last Word are classic examples. The Phil Collins I had in San Juan used Hendrick’s gin, which was a sponsor of the event. Different gins have slightly different flavors, so which one you use will affect the Phil Collins. The original recipe calls for cucumber vodka instead of gin, and it adds a little super simple syrup and a dash of cranberry bitters. Like the one in San Juan, my version of the Phil Collins does not contain syrup or bitters. If it is too tart for you, add a quarter to half an ounce of super simple syrup.
Make yourself a Phil Collins, and answer this — can you feel it coming in the air tonight? If you just thought, sang, or said the words “Oh Lord,” cheers!
2 thoughts on “In The Cocktail Tonight — The Phil Collins”
Love this one Josh!! I could hear the drum solo from the first word. I’m not a gun fan but love cucumber vodka. I’ll try that version this summer. Thanks for the cocktail ideas and the witty and well-written narration.
Thank you! I have a lot of fun with the writing and, of course, the cocktails. I didn’t like gin for many years, but after discovering one I like, I started using it in cocktails in which gin isn’t the primary spirit, e.g. the Last Word and the Negroni. Cheers!
Love this one Josh!! I could hear the drum solo from the first word. I’m not a gun fan but love cucumber vodka. I’ll try that version this summer. Thanks for the cocktail ideas and the witty and well-written narration.
Thank you! I have a lot of fun with the writing and, of course, the cocktails. I didn’t like gin for many years, but after discovering one I like, I started using it in cocktails in which gin isn’t the primary spirit, e.g. the Last Word and the Negroni. Cheers!