So, you've invited a bunch of people over for a gathering. It doesn't matter the reason! Maybe you're throwing a fancy bridal shower or a big holiday meal. Or maybe it's just really nice outside and you want an excuse to grill and hang out in your backyard with your friends.
Whatever the occasion, you'll have to make sure you plan out a menu in advance. There's nothing more stressful than having everyone knock at your door while you're rushing around trying to whip up party dips at the last second. And oh, what about the drinks?
Take it from Ree Drummond: "All you need is a pitcher of sangria to make it a party." Unless you're a bartender by trade, one of the best ways to keep your stress level down is to make batch cocktails. That way, you're not spending hours making individual drinks. How do you batch make cocktails, you ask? Here are some easy tips and tricks for party success!
How to Batch Make Cocktails
Before you begin, assess your invite list. Are there a lot of non-drinkers? Maybe you should make a punch recipe or a mocktail that's easily converted and you can keep your booze to the side for individuals to add. Are they more wine people? Try sangria or a mimosa bar. Ir if they're into spirits, tequila drinks like margaritas would be fun!
Next, make sure you have a distribution vessel. You should have a pitcher, drink dispenser, or punch bowl that you can mix right into. That will save you from cleaning up extra dishes. Nothing like that in sight? Grab a big mixing bowl and a ladle from your kitchen. Done and done.
If you aren't sure how many servings that vessel will hold, fill it up with water, and pour it into a liquid measuring cup until you know. Don't forget that you may be adding ice, fruit, or other inclusions that will take up extra space. Keep that measuring cup out, because you want to make sure you're being accurate with the amounts you're adding. You want to be consistent! You don't want to waste a bunch of expensive alcohol by adding the wrong ratios.
What You Can Do in Advance
If you want to get a head start, you can combine the shelf-stable ingredients in advance the day before. Think: liquors and bottled juices that you'd likely keep refrigerated anyway. Mix them up and keep it covered until you're ready to mix the rest. The cooler the ingredients, they longer they will stay cool when you serve them. You can also make anything that needs to be heated and then cooled in advance like simple syrup.
Speaking of cool, make ice or go buy ice. Make sure you have more than you think, because not only will you add it to the vat of deliciousness, but guests will likely put it in their glasses. You can do the trick where you freeze some of the ingredients like juice in trays and use those as ice cubes, so the drinks won't get watered down the next day.
What You Can't Do in Advance
Don't add anything fizzy (soda water, sparkling wine) or any fresh ingredients (squeeze of lime, fresh herbs like mint or basil) until you're ready to serve. The only exception is unless the recipe tells you to prep the items in advance. Sangria is a perfect example of this―the whole point is to let it sit and let the flavors meld.
Also, ice will be the last thing you add as guests arrive. If you took the previous step of refrigerating your ingredients, the ice will last longer, won't water down the cocktail as fast, and they'll stay nice and chilled. Speaking of taste, make sure you sample the batch before you serve just to make sure the ratios are correct. Keep some bottled water on hand to add if you feel like it needs to be less potent even after ice is added.
Similarly, if you're making frozen drinks, don't blitz everything in the blender until your guests are ready to partake. Feel free to prep the ingredient portions in advance, though. Actually, definitely do this and just keep everything stashed in the fridge or freezer accordingly.
The last piece of advice if this is your first time batch-making cocktails is this: Look for a recipe that is meant to be made in bulk. Attempting a one-off specialty cocktail that needs to be shaken or muddled will be more pain than it's worth. Then, you don't have to worry about multiplication either. It'll set you up for success if you know a go-to site (like The Pioneer Woman!) that has party drinks down to a science.
