How To Store And Serve Bulk Cocktails: Tips To Prepare Ahead For This Festive Season
Festive season gatherings can be demanding and challenging in their own way, amid all the joie de vivre. While families and friends gather to celebrate and make the most of their time together, those hosting these events must balance more than a tinkling glass and a ready smile. From salads to appetisers to desserts and cocktails, every bit requires the attention of party hosts, while they greet and entertain guests.
Such circumstances demand preparing and storing bulk cocktails in advance to save the day. It not only gives your guests something zesty and ready to sip on as they pour in but also allows them to mingle with one another as the party is in full swing. While guests praise relish the cocktails, the appetisers are ready to eat, desserts are freshly set and your festive party is on the road to success!
Making and storing batch cocktails in advance is no mammoth task; it simply requires precision, dedication and good ol’ creativity for tasty and fun cocktails.
How To Prepare And Store Bulk Cocktails For This Festive Season?
Appropriate Glassware And Bar Tools
For making your cocktail, it is ideal to keep some bar tools handy. While it is quite normal to not have cocktail shakers lying about at home, it is smart to get one, along with bar spoons, strainers and proper glassware or pitchers. This will help your bulk cocktails attain a smooth, even consistency. Also, using pitchers, punch bowls, mason jars or dispensers that are slightly larger than your intended serving size for the party, to avoid spills and messes, is ideal.
Preparation Dos And Don’ts
It is important to remember and clearly demarcate between preparation do’s and don'ts to serve cocktails at their peak flavour. Chilling your liquor bottles in the refrigerator and making lots of ice is great prep for the night before, ensuring that it is already chilled and slow down the melting of ice cubes. However, it is best to extract fruit juices and add fizzy mixers last, ideally before mixing and serving. This ensures the juices do not oxidise and taste off-putting. It also prevents the bubbles from fizzling out and tasting flat. Still, chilled citrusy juices can be added an hour or two before serving cocktails.
Measure And Label Everything
A big part of pre-batching cocktails is being careful about measurements and ingredients. The primary purpose of preparing bulk cocktails in advance is to allow the mixological process sufficient care and time. So measure liquor and mixers carefully using a jigger or measuring cup and label every item after use. This will prevent mistakes and double dosing. It can be as simple as labelling the bitters bottle with a sticky note after use. Also, while multiplying portions for batch cocktails, make sure the liquor amount stays moderate. For example, if a 750 ml bottle of liquor is used to make a batch cocktail, then it ideally serves 16-18 guests.
Dilution Is Key
Dilution plays an important part in making batch cocktails. When a cocktail is shaken with ice and served, it is still diluted and contains water, even if it has not been added directly. So, try your chosen cocktail recipe for a single serve first to figure out how much dilution and sweetener it requires. This will help avoid expensive mistakes and wasted drinks. Water is a more important addition to cocktails than ice, as it tames the potency of alcohol and sweetness better and quicker. Add some extra water or ice while pre-batching your bulk cocktails, according to their taste. This will ensure your cocktails taste better and remain colder later.
Tips On Pre-Batching Cocktails
- It is crucial to store your cocktails in proper, airtight glassware and containers, away from direct sunlight.
- Since most cocktails require ice for mixing and serving, to avoid altering the taste of your cocktails, store them in the refrigerator. Later, you can take them out and serve them with more ice or cocktail stones for optimal temperature and taste.
- Prepare fresh garnishes just before serving as they might shrivel otherwise. Dried herbs and other garnishes can be prepared the night before and kept ready for decorating glassware or serving.
Do remember that like everything, alcohol is best consumed in moderation. Always drink and serve responsibly!
