How do I batch cocktails for a party?

The step everyone misses when batching is dilution. A shaken or stirred cocktail picks up roughly a fifth of its volume in melted ice, and that water is part of the recipe. A batch made without it does not taste like the same drink.

What you'll need

• Large jug or bottles
• Measuring jug
• Fridge space
• Ice (optional)

Step by step

1. Choose drinks that batch well.Spirit-forward stirred drinks — negronis, manhattans, old fashioneds — batch excellently. Anything with egg white, cream or fizz does not.
2. Multiply every ingredient by the number of servings.Write it down. Mental arithmetic at scale is where mistakes happen, and they are expensive.
3. Add about 20% of the total volume as water.This replaces the dilution from shaking or stirring. Without it the drink is harsh and noticeably stronger than intended.
4. Reduce the water for anything containing juice or citrus.Around 10-15% for those, since the juice already provides some dilution and softening.
5. Chill the whole batch thoroughly, for hours.Fridge, or freezer for high-alcohol batches which will not freeze solid. Cold is what lets you serve without further ice-melt.
6. Add citrus juice on the day, not the day before.Fresh juice degrades within hours and tastes noticeably duller by the next day.
7. Keep sparkling elements separate until serving.Prosecco, soda and tonic go in at the moment of pouring. Batched with the rest they are flat within an hour.
8. Serve over fresh ice with the garnish ready prepared.Cut citrus twists and set out glasses in advance. It turns serving into pouring.

Tips

• Taste the batch and adjust before the guests arrive. Scaling up amplifies small errors in the ratio.
• Bottling the batch and keeping it in the freezer means you can pour straight, with no ice needed at all.
• Make a matching non-alcoholic batch. It takes ten extra minutes and means everyone gets the same experience.

Common mistakes

• Not adding water to a batch — Shaking or stirring normally adds around 20% dilution, and that water is part of the recipe. Without it the drink is harsh.
• Batching anything fizzy in advance — It goes flat within the hour. Add sparkling components at the moment of pouring.
• Squeezing citrus the day before — Fresh juice loses its brightness within hours and tastes dull and slightly cooked by the next day.

Questions people ask