What is the final step in preparing a Tom Collins?

In preparing a Tom Collins, the final step is to fill the drink with soda. This step is crucial because it completes the cocktail by adding the signature effervescence and lightness that characterize a Tom Collins. The drink is built on a foundation of gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, typically shaken with ice to mix and chill the ingredients. Once this mixture is poured into a glass filled with ice, adding soda water is what transforms it into a refreshing cocktail, providing a bubbly texture and balancing the sweetness of the syrup with the acidity of the lemon juice.

While shaking with ice is an essential step in the mixing process to ensure all ingredients are combined well, it precedes the final presentation. Stirring with a spoon can be used in some cocktail preparations but is not relevant to the Tom Collins as it is typically shaken first and not stirred. Garnishing with a cherry is also important for presentation, but it comes after filling the drink with soda, making it not the last step in the preparation. Therefore, filling with soda operates as the final touch that makes the Tom Collins complete.