Fashioned

There’s nothing romantic about shaking twenty Daiquiris in a row. Trust us—we’ve tried. When you’re hosting a party, batching is your best friend. But how do you scale up a cocktail without sacrificing the precision, balance, or elegance of a single-serve drink?

Let’s break it down.

Start with a proven recipe. Choose a cocktail that holds well over time—generally stirred drinks and shaken sours (without eggs or sparkling ingredients) are ideal. Think Negronis, Margaritas, Old-Fashioneds, or even a Jungle Bird if you’re feeling tropical. The key is that the drink is balanced before you scale.

Multiply carefully. Don’t just multiply the ingredients blindly. Instead, convert your recipe to ounces, then multiply everything by the number of servings you need. If your original spec is:

• 2 ounces spirit
• ¾ ounce citrus juice
• ¾ ounce sweetener

...and you’re making 10 drinks, scale accordingly. Now you’ve got:

• 20 ounces spirit
• 7½ ounces citrus juice
• 7½ ounces sweetener

Add water. Cocktails are diluted when they’re stirred or shaken—generally around 20 to 25%. If you’re batching, that dilution needs to happen before you chill. For most recipes, add water at about 20% of the total volume of your combined ingredients. It’s often the step that separates a stellar batched drink from a flat or overly boozy one.

Chill in advance. Pour your batched cocktail into a bottle or container and chill thoroughly for at least a few hours. If it’s a stirred-style drink (Manhattans, Martinis, Old-Fashioneds), stash it in the freezer. If it’s a citrus-driven cocktail (sours, Margaritas, and so on) chill it in the fridge and serve over fresh ice. A freezer-cold cocktail poured straight into a coupe? That’s your hospitality shortcut.

Don’t batch bubbles or dairy. Carbonated cocktails (like spritzes or French 75s) should be topped to order. Same goes for anything with eggs, cream, or ice cream—those are best made à la minute.

Label everything. Even if you only batch one or two cocktails, label the bottles clearly so you—and your guests—know what’s what. Include garnish instructions too, if needed.

Don’t forget the ice. Large-format ice (around 2-inch cubes) works well for stirred drinks served on the rocks. For highballs or citrus-forward drinks, go for standard cubes or crushed ice. And always prep more than you think you need—ice disappears quickly at a good party.

Batched cocktails aren’t a shortcut—they’re a flex. Done right, they give you the freedom to enjoy your guests, and the satisfaction of knowing every drink is just as thoughtful as if you’d made it one by one.