CHILLING AHEAD (AND USING UP THE REST OF THE BOTTLE)
If you’re planning to batch up some cocktails tomorrow, give yourself a leg up today by placing any spirits in your freezer, or refrigerating them alongside any liqueurs, vermouths, syrups, and so on. Cold ingredients will mean your drink starts out cool and won’t need as much time in the fridge to get to serving temperature.
If you find yourself with leftover sherry or vermouth, be sure to treat it like wine and store it in the fridge until the bottle is finished. You’ll also find advice for using up these gems (as well as some of the other bottles you might have gathered for your big-batch drinks) throughout the book, and, of course, ingredients are listed in the index, as well.
SYRUP STORAGE
I like to keep mason jars of various sizes around for storing syrups, infusions, and even batches-in-progress. One warning, though: You will not, no matter how great your memory is, remember what is in any of those jars. Commit to labeling every single one, lest the following happen to you and yours. Recently, I mixed up a few different cocktails early in the day. That evening, my husband went rooting around in the fridge, poured himself a drink, and then paused. “That’s pretty sweet,” he commented after a grimace. I explained that I’d made several variations, but it wasn’t until I came over to look at the jar that I realized he’d served himself a lovely glass of straight-up 2:1 simple syrup, made with demerara sugar. It’s not a mistake we’ll make again—though it’s not quite as bad as the time a friend ate a full serving of what he assumed was panna cotta from the back of the fridge before finding out that it was actually his wife’s jar of rendered bacon fat.
HEY, WHERE ARE THE ONE-BOTTLE COCKTAILS?
My previous book, The One-Bottle Cocktail, focused on complex-tasting drinks mixed with just a single spirit. While this one goes another route, aiming to make your life easier by helping you batch drinks in advance (and use more than just a quarter ounce of that amaro you bought), there are a few one-bottle drinks lurking in these pages. Don’t miss the Unchained Melody (this page) and Basil Expedition (this page) if you’re a bourbon drinker. Check out the Addison Street (this page) and Lace and Fancy Things (this page) made with gin—plus the Chipotle Collins (this page) and Host’s Punch (this page) if you’ll allow for some basic bitters. If you have a bottle of rum, you can make the Fya Ball (this page) and Birds and the Bees Punch (this page), plus the summer-perfect Sandy Bottoms (this page) if you have Peychaud’s bitters too. The Sneaky Peat (this page) is a sneaky single-spirit drink for anyone with Scotch and Angostura. The Grand Prix (this page) uses only Campari, while the spicy, juicy Poolside (this page) calls for just Grand Marnier.
LEFTOVERS AND AGING COCKTAILS ON PURPOSE
Some of my favorite bartenders like to age cocktails for years at a time; others believe the sweet spot for a cocktail is after four days in the fridge. High-proof spirits will basically soldier on, but lower-alcohol liqueurs, amari, vermouths, sherries, and the like are more likely to evolve as they’re exposed to oxygen. Even a few days in, you may notice a drink’s flavors seem to integrate and meld together, and as weeks and months pass, you may be surprised at the evolution in a drink’s texture and flavor.
Here are a few best practices for aging cocktails:
Store the cocktails you’re aging in a clean container in the fridge.
Minimizing oxygen exposure will help to preserve a cocktail’s freshness. Store the batch without much headspace above the liquid. If you plan to drink the cocktail over the course of several days or weeks, split the mixture among smaller bottles or jars.
While I’ve heard wild tales of successfully aged drinks made with fresh citrus, I don’t recommend it for folks at home. Tart drinks with lemon, lime, or grapefruit will taste best the day they’re made.
If you’re going to store your drinks longer than two weeks, leave out the water and bitters until the day you plan to serve the cocktails. In multiple blind-tasting trials, I found that the drinks taste more balanced and full-flavored when dilution and bitters are added day-of. The easiest method is to pour measured dilution and bitters into the batch a few hours before serving, and turn the bottle gently end over end to mix. If you’d prefer to sample a drink or two but keep aging the batch for more than a week, consider stirring individual portions with ice and dashing bitters into each glass.
DRINKS THAT KEEP
APERITIVI
All She Wrote
BRANDY
Two Words
Bardstown
The Night Shift
GIN
The Invitation
Bound by Venus
TEQUILA
Tenochtitlan
The Frankie Panky
Three-Piece Suit
VODKA
Islay and Olive
WHISKEY
Bone Machine
National Treasure
Happiness
Hook, Line, and Sinker
Double Down
HERBAL & FLORAL
GARDEN RAMBLER
THE INVITATION
BIRDS AGAIN
THE HOST’S PUNCH
TONGUE IN CHEEK
DERBY CUP
BOUND BY VENUS
L’AVENTURA PUNCH
Garden Rambler
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
If you have a garden bed or window box full of enthusiastic herbs, this pitcher from Kellie Thorn of Atlanta’s Empire State South is for you. Garnished abundantly with mint, basil, or whatever green herbs you have on hand, the Garden Rambler is like a tart, minty limeade with benefits. Tequila’s verdant notes team up with anise-scented green Chartreuse for an herbal finish, and pineapple syrup adds complementary sunny flavors without turning things too sweet.
1¼ cups blanco tequila
¼ cup green Chartreuse
½ cup chilled pineapple syrup (recipe follows)
¾ cup fresh lime juice
TO SERVE
2¼ cups chilled club soda
5 sprigs each mint and basil, plus fennel fronds, rosemary, or other fresh herbs, if desired
Up to 2 days before serving, make the batch. Pour tequila, green Chartreuse, and chilled pineapple syrup into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lime juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, stir mixture well, then add chilled club soda and half of the herbs. Fill pitcher with ice and stir gently until outside of pitcher feels cool. Garnish pitcher with additional herbs and pour cocktail into ice-filled wineglasses.
PINEAPPLE SYRUP • MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
½ cup fresh pineapple juice
½ cup sugar
Combine pineapple juice and sugar in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Watch carefully and do not let boil. Syrup will thicken slightly. Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate in a sealed container until completely chilled or for up to 2 days.
The Invitation
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 1-LITER SWING-TOP BOTTLE
There are few things as luxurious as having a bottle of martinis in your freezer, ready to pour at the end of a long day. And there are whole books to be written about all the many variations on the classic recipe. But this one is a favorite of mine, from Collin Nicholas of Portland’s Ava Gene’s and Tusk. He softens the robust flavors of gin (he recommends a London dry, like Sipsmith) with a bit of vodka, and splits the vermouth between an herbal dry and fruitier blanc version—be sure to seek out the Dolin brands for this recipe to ensure a perfect balance. Mixed together, they give you a drink that’s silky and seamless. What really sets this cocktail apart, though, is
a couple of teaspoons of absinthe and the final swirls of anise-scented Peychaud’s bitters on top. (You can, of course, enlist your guests to add these final touches.) Watching the red bitters bloom and bleed in each glass is mesmerizing. Note that, like any decent martini, these are strong.
1½ cups gin
½ cup vodka
½ cup Dolin blanc vermouth
½ cup Dolin dry vermouth
2 teaspoons absinthe
⅔ cup water
TO SERVE
Peychaud’s bitters
At least 2 and up to 4 hours before serving, make the batch. Use a small funnel to pour gin, vodka, blanc vermouth, dry vermouth, absinthe, and water into a 1-liter swing-top bottle. Seal, turn gently end over end to mix, and chill in freezer. (If you’d prefer to batch further in advance, refrigerate filled bottle, then place in freezer an hour or two before serving.)
To serve, turn bottle gently to mix, then pour cocktail into chilled Nick and Nora glasses. Add 3 dashes bitters to each drink and serve immediately. Return bottle to freezer if not serving all of the cocktails right away.
USE IT UP
Try ¼ ounce absinthe in your glass of sparkling wine, with a nod to Ernest Hemingway, or make some Sazeracs.
Birds Again
MAKES ABOUT 13 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
You’re familiar with sours made with tequila (hey, margarita) and rum (that’s a daiquiri). You’ve probably had a pisco sour or a sidecar. But what happens when you skip the strong spirit and pour in tangy Sauvignon Blanc and herbal dry vermouth instead? Scented with basil and rose water, this low-proof easy drinker from Shaun Traxler of Vault in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is bright and refreshing but still more cocktail than sangria. Chill the wine and vermouth before you begin, and if you really want to ace the presentation, garnish the pitcher with food-grade rosebuds or rose petals. You’ll need one large or two small bottles of vermouth for this recipe.
15 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 1:1 simple syrup (this page)
1¼ teaspoons rose water
2¼ cups chilled Sauvignon Blanc
2¼ cups chilled dry vermouth (such as Dolin)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
TO SERVE
About 13 edible rosebuds or rose petals (optional)
13 fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Up to 2 hours before serving, make the batch. Place basil leaves, simple syrup, and rose water in a 2-quart pitcher. Tap basil gently with a muddler or long wooden spoon, just enough to coax the flavor out; don’t pulverize it. Pour in chilled Sauvignon Blanc, chilled vermouth, and lime juice and stir well to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
To serve, stir mixture well. Garnish pitcher with rosebuds or rose petals, if desired. Pour cocktail into ice-filled wineglasses or rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a basil leaf and freshly ground pepper, if desired.
USE IT UP
On a searing-hot day, combine a few ounces of dry vermouth with twice as much tonic in a tall, ice-filled glass. Add a lemon wedge and don’t forget the SPF. Or invite some friends over for the Invitation (this page), Islay and Olive (this page), All She Wrote (this page), the Frankie Panky (this page), or Thyme Out (this page).
The Host’s Punch
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Some gins are jammed with piney flavors, while others are peppery or citrusy. But a few, like Nolet’s Silver or G’Vine Floraison, taste more like a walk in a rose garden than a hike through the forest, and if you like your cocktails lightly floral, those are the ones to use in this easy pitcher drink from Danny Shapiro of Chicago’s Scofflaw Group. Scented with sprightly mint and lemon, it’s ideal for day drinking and simple enough to prep before brunch. Be sure to have ample ice on hand; you really want to fill the pitcher with it, as well as have extra for each cup.
25 fresh mint leaves
1 cup 1:1 simple syrup (this page)
8 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
2 cups chilled gin
1 cup fresh lemon juice
TO SERVE
16 lemon wheels
8 mint sprigs
Up to 1 hour before serving, make the batch. Place mint leaves in a 2-quart pitcher and top with simple syrup and bitters. Press mint leaves gently with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Let sit for 1 minute, then add chilled gin and lemon juice and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
To serve, stir in 8 lemon wheels and fill pitcher with ice. (Yes, that’s a lot of ice.) Stir gently until outside of pitcher is cool. Pour into ice-filled punch cups or tumblers and garnish each cup with a mint sprig and a lemon wheel.
Tongue in Cheek
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
These days, you can often find Meyer lemons at gourmet grocery stores sitting casually next to a box of the regular Eureka ones, but I always feel like they deserve a big shouty sign—and a special signature drink—heralding their arrival. They‘re excellent paired with thyme and bitter Cocchi Americano Rosa in this cocktail from Jared Hirsch of Nickel Dime Cocktail Syrups and Sidebar in Oakland, California.
1½ cups chilled gin
¼ cup Cocchi Americano Rosa
½ cup thyme syrup (recipe follows)
1 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
TO SERVE
3½ cups chilled club soda
8 lemon wheels
8 thyme sprigs
Up to 2 days before serving, make the batch. Pour gin, Cocchi Americano Rosa, and thyme syrup into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare Meyer lemon juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, stir mixture well. Add chilled club soda and lemon wheels. Fill pitcher with ice and stir gently until outside of pitcher is cool. Pour into ice-filled highball or punch glasses and garnish each glass with a thyme sprig.
THYME SYRUP • MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
5 thyme sprigs
Combine sugar and water in a 1-quart saucepan and warm over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Add thyme sprigs, turn heat to low, and keep warm for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Strain into a resealable container and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 week.
USE IT UP
Mix 1 ounce Cocchi Americano Rosa and ¾ ounce grapefruit juice with 2½ ounces Fever-Tree bitter lemon soda.
Derby Cup
MAKE 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Julep, meet Pimm’s Cup. I think you two will get along. Both of you like mint, right? And sunny days and sporting events? Boston’s Fred Yarm did the matchmaking with this recipe, and the combo is just fantastic. Bourbon gives the fruity Pimm’s a firm stage to stand on, and a handful of mint uplifts the mix when paired with lemon.
1¼ cups bourbon (such as Four Roses)
1¼ cups Pimm’s No. 1
¾ cup chilled mint syrup (recipe follows)
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
TO SERVE
3 cups chilled club soda
8 lively mint sprigs
Up to 1 day before serving, make the batch. Pour bourbon, Pimm’s, and chilled mint syrup into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lemon juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, stir mixture well, then add chilled club soda and give it another gentle stir. Fi
ll collins glasses or julep cups to top with crushed ice and pour in cocktail. Garnish each glass with a mint sprig.
MINT SYRUP • MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup water
Leaves from 11 mint sprigs
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and warm over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. When mixture reaches a simmer, remove from heat and stir in mint leaves until fully submerged. Cover and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a resealable container and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 week.
USE IT UP
Inspired by a similar move at San Francisco’s Philz Coffee, I love to add a bit of this minty simple syrup to my iced coffee.
Bound by Venus
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 1-LITER SWING-TOP BOTTLE
I spent many months on the Oregon coast as a teenager, hiking on state park trails up above the beach. Maybe that’s why I love juniper-laced gin mixed with fino sherry so much; they go together like the scent of evergreens and a saline ocean breeze. Seattle bartender Jesse Cyr links the two ingredients with a splash of yellow Chartreuse, which is a little softer than the green version, but still adds spice. You’ll amp up the herb quotient by letting some rosemary sprigs sit in the gin for a few hours. This cocktail is woodsy and lush, best served with a tray of Marcona almonds and fresh chèvre. Use a gin you love for the infusion; the quality will shine through in the finished drink.
Batch Cocktails Page 2