Batch cocktail calculator that knows what keeps
Scale a drink to a bottle, add the right water, and see what to leave out.
The batch
One drink
Enter the spec for a single drink. Name fresh juice as juice (for example "lime juice") and it stays out of the bottle on its own.
- Bottle
The batch
Add the ingredients of one drink and how much of each goes in. The bottle, the water and what stays out show up here.
What goes in the bottle
Batching a cocktail means mixing a bottle ahead of service so each drink is a pour instead of a build. Scale every ingredient to the number of drinks you need, or to the size of the bottle you want to fill, then add water so the first pour tastes like a drink that already went over ice.
Some things never go in the bottle. Fresh citrus juice goes dull within a day, so a batched bottle with lime in it is dead by tomorrow's service. Dairy, egg, soda, coffee and foams stay out too. This calculator lists them as add at service and keeps the rest in the bottle.
Water depends on the method. A stirred drink typically takes about 15 to 25 percent water against the bottled liquid, and a shaken drink about 20 to 30 percent. You can change the number. A built drink with no ice takes none.
Questions
- How much water do you add to a batched stirred cocktail?
- Typically about 15 to 25 percent of the bottled liquid by volume, and 20 percent is a common place to start. Taste it cold and adjust. A bottle that will be poured over ice can take a little less.
- Can you batch cocktails with citrus juice?
- Not for long. Fresh citrus juice loses its brightness within a day, so most bars keep it out of the bottle and add it to each drink at service. A super juice or cordial made to keep is the usual exception.
- How long does a batched cocktail last?
- As long as its shortest-lived ingredient. Spirits, liqueurs and bitters keep a long time, so the limit is anything perishable in the bottle, like a house syrup or cordial. Keep it cold and put a date on it.
- How do you scale a cocktail recipe to fill a bottle?
- Add up the ounces that go in the bottle for one drink, plus the water share, then divide the bottle size by that. The answer is how many drinks the bottle holds, and every ingredient is multiplied by it.
Doing this for a whole menu? PourPar costs every drink, prep included.