Johnny Apple Collins

About the Johnny Apple Collins

The Johnny Apple Collins takes the classic Tom Collins format and gives it a fall twist, building Timber Creek Florida Whiskey with apple schnapps, lemon juice, bitter lemon soda, and aromatic bitters, shaken and strained into a chilled Collins glass filled with ice. It’s a tall, fizzy, apple-forward cocktail that drinks lighter than its whiskey base might suggest, thanks to the soda’s dilution and effervescence. To build it, shake the whiskey, apple schnapps, lemon juice, and Jerry Thomas bitters together with ice, strain into a chilled Collins glass filled with fresh ice, and top with bitter lemon soda. Finish with an expressed lemon twist.

Building the soda in last, rather than shaking it, keeps the carbonation intact so the drink stays lively and effervescent rather than going flat. Timber Creek Florida Whiskey leads this recipe at 1.5oz, double the apple schnapps pour, so while the schnapps contributes real apple character, the whiskey remains the primary spirit driving the drink. This recipe layers Timber Creek Florida Whiskey with a German apple schnapps in a supporting role, and the whiskey’s grain-to-glass character, developed through the distillery’s PureBlend process, gives the drink a warm, structured backbone that keeps it from tasting like a simple apple soda despite the schnapps and bitter lemon soda both pulling toward sweetness and fizz. Serve the Johnny Apple Collins alongside fall comfort food: apple pie, pork chops, cheddar cheese, caramel apples, and roast turkey all echo its apple-and-citrus profile.

It’s a great choice for a casual autumn gathering or a brunch cocktail, since the tall format and soda make it feel lighter and more sessionable than a straight whiskey pour, and it’s an easy one to batch by pre-mixing the whiskey, schnapps, lemon, and bitters ahead of time and topping individual glasses with soda to order. Because it’s easy to drink quickly, pace yourself accordingly and always drink responsibly.

The Johnny Apple Collins takes the classic Tom Collins format and gives it a fall twist, building Timber Creek Florida Whiskey with apple schnapps, lemon juice, bitter lemon soda, and aromatic bitters, shaken and strained into a chilled Collins glass filled with ice. It’s a tall, fizzy, apple-forward cocktail that drinks lighter than its whiskey base might suggest, thanks to the soda’s dilution and effervescence. To build it, shake the whiskey, apple schnapps, lemon juice, and Jerry Thomas bitters together with ice, strain into a chilled Collins glass filled with fresh ice, and top with bitter lemon soda. Finish with an expressed lemon twist.

Building the soda in last, rather than shaking it, keeps the carbonation intact so the drink stays lively and effervescent rather than going flat. Timber Creek Florida Whiskey leads this recipe at 1.5oz, double the apple schnapps pour, so while the schnapps contributes real apple character, the whiskey remains the primary spirit driving the drink. This recipe layers Timber Creek Florida Whiskey with a German apple schnapps in a supporting role, and the whiskey’s grain-to-glass character, developed through the distillery’s PureBlend process, gives the drink a warm, structured backbone that keeps it from tasting like a simple apple soda despite the schnapps and bitter lemon soda both pulling toward sweetness and fizz. Serve the Johnny Apple Collins alongside fall comfort food: apple pie, pork chops, cheddar cheese, caramel apples, and roast turkey all echo its apple-and-citrus profile.

It’s a great choice for a casual autumn gathering or a brunch cocktail, since the tall format and soda make it feel lighter and more sessionable than a straight whiskey pour, and it’s an easy one to batch by pre-mixing the whiskey, schnapps, lemon, and bitters ahead of time and topping individual glasses with soda to order. Because it’s easy to drink quickly, pace yourself accordingly and always drink responsibly.