First off, I'm new to this forum, so hello to everyone! The title is pretty straightforward. Does the classic Tom Collins cocktail benefit from the addition of a few dashes of bitters? Now I'm no fool, I know that the proper recipe contains only gin, lemon juice, soda water, and bar sugar or gomme/simple syrup, served over plenty of ice with a cherry and a lemon wedge. To be fair, I have actually seen a recipe or two online that say to add a few dashes of Angostura. But it's not the norm in any sense. However, Angostura Bitters flow through my veins. That funky, herbal accent is what helps define so many cocktails we all know and love- the Old Fashioned, a Lemon Lime and Bitters, and of course the Manhattan. You can also add some to drinks that don't usually have any bitters; the Mojito, Cuba Libre, and Bloody Mary all benefit from some Angostura. Angostura is the complexity that Jäger wishes it had. So the big question is... Are you best off playing it old school, or spicing up the venerable Tom Collins with a few dashes of bitters? As a side note, I know that anything can passed off as a matter of opinion; on the other hand, people that say this may also say that a Martini can be made with vodka, little to no vermouth, or shaken, rather than stirred. Philistines. So I guess what I'm asking more specifically is if a real, self-respecting mixology connoisseur can add a few dashes of Angostura (or hell, Peychauds, Orange, or some other variety of) bitters and still have a clear conscience.
