Pre-Batch Cocktails

I think the best part of attending a party (besides leaving before you have to help clean up…) is arrival time. You walk in, your host hands you a drink, and everyone is happy. If you are the host, it is fun greeting people at the door and getting a drink into the hands of your guests. With any luck, they have brought you a great bottle of wine (for you to enjoy later) or a box of chocolates (for you to devour afterward when no one is looking). Sometimes there is a bunch of flowers, and you need to find a vase. But first-things-first: you need to get the drinks flowing ASAP. Arrival time can be a little hectic when you have your hands full of hostess gifts, but there are ways to streamline the beverage service at a party. One way is to hire a bartender. Another way is to limit the choices such as sticking to beer, wine, or punch. If cocktails are on the menu, and you are mixing them, it can get a little chaotic when you hear the doorbell ring again. A great option is preparing some Pre-batch cocktails.

Pre-batch cocktails can be a lifesaver, and it is easy to see why. It is an idea that has been around for a long time, but is popping up more and more. Pre-batch cocktails might make you think of ‘cocktails-in-a-can’ that left a bad taste in our mouth (and likely a bad hangover for any of us that has ever tried them). These aren’t anything like those. Pre-batch cocktails, that you mix yourself with premium spirits, are what fresh fruit salad is to a can of fruit cocktail. Not only are you giving your guests some great choices, but you’re also getting the work done before your guests arrive (and saving yourself a lot of time). This allows more time for you to enjoy your party whether it is a party of fifty or a party for two.

One of our favorite mottos is “it isn’t done until it is overdone.” You can make up as many different drinks as you can dream up and line them all up like little soldiers. It takes a little work to set up the bar and make them, but the advantage is that it can all be done ahead of time. I like it to keep selections to a few classics that I know my guests will love. My favorite pre-batch cocktails are ones that can be chilled and served straight up: classics like Martinis and Manhattans (that never really go out of style) as well as other favorites like Negronis and Sidecars. But you don’t have to limit yourself to classics. If you want your drink service to be memorable, you can always make up your own. My inside sources tell me that some of the trends this year are for infused spirits, healthy ingredients (berries, coconut water, aloe nectar, spices, herbs and fruit and vegetable juices, etc.), and low alcohol drinks (not so much at our house…LOL). Homemade tonics, tinctures, and bitters are also popping up in trendy drinks everywhere. The only limit is your imagination and your time.

Getting To It

When serving pre-batched cocktails that are going to be served straight-up (or over ice for that matter), you can stir them up in a pitcher and pour from there. However, I prefer the idea of going one step further and bottling them in swing-top bottles. Swing-top bottles are cheap and easy to find (see links below). You can make them ahead of time and chill them. As cold as you can get them! It’s a fun idea, and you don’t have to worry about them leaking if you decide to put them in an ice bucket. I like the small 8.5-ounce the best. Each one is good for two pours if you are using a 4 oz glass, or one pour in a larger glass (with a little extra backup). Larger 17-ounce and 34-ounce swing top bottles are also an option. You can fill the bottles using a funnel, but you might want to use an auto-siphon like this one here. It is cheap enough and makes it easier (and sort of fun) if you plan on doing this again.

There is one important thing to remember when making your cocktails in advance: they will either be served ‘straight-up’ or ‘on-the-rocks’. For ‘straight-up’ cocktails you won’t be shaking the cocktails with ice (and this is important), so you need to add a little water to compensate for the absence of ice melting into the drink. Pre-batched ‘straight-up’ cocktails should be around one-fifth water (for example, 6-ounces of water added to a 32-ounce batch). If you are pouring the pre-batched cocktails over ice (‘on-the-rocks’), you wouldn’t need to add water to the mix. In this instance a pitcher or a larger bottle works best. If you are serving both, make sure your guests know what they are doing and don’t confuse the two. Don’t forget to label the bottles and include instructions like ‘straight-up’ or ‘on-the-rocks’.

Party Decorations

All cocktails benefit from a little garnish. Martinis and Manhattans require them! I like to have some prepared ‘party picks’ ready to go. They are mainly composed of olives, onions, twists, squeezes and cherries, but the sky’s the limit. I like to use the pintxo board you might remember from my earlier post on pintxos here. Paper umbrellas and edible flowers can also be fun!

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What’ll You Have?

Here are just a few recipes to whet your appetite! They all make approximately 32 ounce batches.

The Martini.

The Martini is a modern classic. Traditionally it is made with gin, but many people prefer vodka, so I always have both on hand. Martini’s originally contained more vermouth, but have gotten drier over time. Some people have taken to applying the vermouth with an eye-dropper, an atomizer, or swirled in the glass then dumped (by way of Auntie Mame). A ‘Noel Coward Martini’ is made by pouring a glass of gin, and “waving it in the general direction of Italy”. This recipe is for four parts gin or vodka to one part dry vermouth (see note). You can adjust that to taste. If you like your Martini dirty, use 3 ounces vermouth and 3 ounces (or to taste) of olive brine. By the way, it is considered bad luck to serve a martini with an even number of olives. One or three olives is recommended. If you garnish with onion, you have just made yourself a Gibson.

The Manhattan

Manhattans are traditionally made with American Rye whiskey, but Canadian whiskey or bourbon will work just as well. Manhattans are comprised of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters, and then garnished with a maraschino cherry.

The Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan or ‘Cosmo’ became popular during ‘Sex in the City’, but first showed up in the 1970’s. It is comprised of vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice. Simple and popular!

The Negroni

The Negroni origins are uncertain, but it is widely believed to have originated in 1919 at the ‘Caffè Casoni’ in Florence, Italy. Generally, it is composed of equal portions of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari (sometimes slightly more gin than vermouth or Campari). If you substitute bourbon for gin you have a Boulevardier.

• Boulevardier (see Negroni)
• Sazerac
• Gimlet
• Grasshopper
• Sidecar

Enjoy!

Links:
Bottles: specialtybottle.com, amazon.com

Auto Siphon: Amazon.com

Party picks: Pack n Wood, Webstaurant.com

I came by the idea for big batch cocktails during last IFBC 2016 conference. It was an idea presented by Kathy Casey during the #SippingSocialTrends. Kathy had the great idea to make large batches of cocktails and bottle them in individual bottles. I thought it was a great idea and I decided to run with it.