Mixing cocktails in large batches is an amazing life hack. Batch cocktails are great for parties, where you can serve quality drinks without being stuck behind the bar all night. They’re equally wonderful when you come home after a long day and want a sip of something nice without needing your mixologist hat. But if you’ve ever mixed up your own batch cocktails, they may not have tasted quite right. Tasting Table sat down with author and cocktail Instagrammer Katie Stryjewski for some expert wisdom on how to mix up the perfect batch cocktail, namely by using water.
Batch cocktails, especially those stored cold, often miss one crucial step: stirring or shaking. This part of the mixing process slightly dilutes the spirits, unlocking the full flavor. To make up for this missing dilution, Stryjewski suggests a simple solution. “A good rule of thumb is to add 25% water,” she reveals. “Just be sure to store it in the refrigerator so that it gets cold as well as diluted.”
As far as balancing flavors goes, Stryjewski assures us that our favorite recipes don’t need to change. “What works for an individual cocktail will also work for a batched cocktail. Keep your proportions the same, and it should taste great,” she instructs, adding that “you need to make sure you account for the dilution you’d normally get from shaking or stirring.”
The best measurements for batch cocktails
For the most part, making large-batch cocktails isn’t too different from pouring up a single serving, but there are some major batch cocktail mistakes to avoid. For starters, the best choices for many-serving mixes are spirit-forward drinks. This is why strong drinks make better pre-batched cocktails. Cocktails made with ingredients like citrus juice or club soda have a fairly short shelf life and should be mixed close to serving. However, a batch of something strong, like an easy dirty martini, old fashioned, or one of the many Negroni variants, will keep for a long time.
If you enjoy an occasional aperitivo before dinner, mix up a batch of classic Negronis and keep it in the freezer for weeks without issue — but you do need to dilute it properly. Fortunately, Stryjewski has already done the math for you, explaining where the water comes into play during the process. “Say you’re batching a Negroni with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari,” she notes. “You normally make a 3 oz drink with 1 oz of each ingredient. 25% of 3 oz is ¾ oz. So, add ¾ oz [of] water for every 3 oz of cocktail.”
Of course, if that isn’t enough, Stryjewski adds that “if you want to batch 10 cocktails, add 10 oz gin, 10 oz sweet vermouth, 10 oz Campari, and 7.5 oz water.” So, there you have it, everything you need to know to enjoy a perfect Negroni after work with near zero effort. Just pull the bottle out of your freezer door, pour over ice, and kick up your feet.
