HOW TO BATCH GIN COCKTAILS
Batching is like magic – prepare your cocktails ahead of a party, and ‘hey presto!’ you have perfectly consistent drinks to serve your guests.
It works well any time you need to serve cocktails quickly or have a large number to prepare – like when you’ve got 20 people coming for drinks and you want to greet everyone with a Christmas Punch on arrival!
If you don’t think you’ll get through the batch, just mix all the non-perishable ingredients together – anything with an alcoholic base, bitters or sugar syrup. Any fresh ingredients like herbs or fresh juices and purees can be kept separately.
You can then add the fresh items when you are making the cocktails, and the non-perishable ingredients can be stored for use at a later time. Waste not, want not!
One of the best examples of batching gin cocktails is the Negroni. The recipe is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth.
To keep it super simple, just buy 700mL bottles of each and mix them together in a large saucepan or bucket. Use a funnel to decant the mix back into the original bottles, and they will keep in the fridge for months.
Next time you want a Negroni, just pour the mix over ice, stir and garnish with an orange wedge. You (and your very grateful mates) will have a cocktail in hand in under 30 seconds.
Too easy!
THREE BATCHED COCKTAIL RECIPES
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BLOODY MOJITO (SERVES 4)
Buy Bloody Shiraz GinINGREDIENTS
- 120mL Bloody Shiraz Gin
- 60mL Oscar.697 Bianco Vermouth
- 120mL lemon or lime juice
- 100mL sugar syrup
- 20 mint leaves
- 200mL soda
- Lime
METHOD
- Slap your mint leaves and place in the bottom of a carafe
- Squeeze in two wedges of lime and add to the carafe
- Add all cocktail ingredients and top with ice
- Squeeze another lime wedge on top
- Serve in a Highball glass with a lime wedge
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FEEL GOOD MIMOSA (SERVES 4)
Buy Rare Dry GinINGREDIENTS
- 150mL Rare Dry Gin
- 200mL orange juice
- 250mL prosecco
- Orange
METHOD
- Build all ingredients in a carafe and top with ice
- Layer in orange wedges
- Serve in a wine glass with ice and an orange wedge
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BLOODY SPRITZ (SERVES 4)
Buy Bloody Shiraz GinINGREDIENTS
- 120mL Bloody Shiraz Gin
- 120mL ruby red grapefruit juice
- 120mL soda water
- 360mL sparkling wine
- Grapefruit
METHOD
- Build gin, juice, sparkling wine and soda water in a carafe and top with ice
- Layer in slices of grapefruit wedges (using a long spoon to evenly push the fruit through out your drink)
- Serve in a wine glass with ice and a grapefruit wedge
