The Two Main Ways To Think Through Batching A Cocktail

With warm weather in full swing, you're probably thinking about al fresco dining, bottomless brunches, and plenty of other ways to celebrate the season. 

As rewarding as hosting is, it can also be a challenge. You may find yourself spending most of the day in the kitchen — or at the bar if you're preparing cocktails. The next time you consider hosting, you might want to rethink your signature cocktail. Don't go with something tedious to make or that requires too much patience. You don't need to elaborately garnish every drink with a made-to-order burnt orange peel. Keep it simple, take it easy on yourself, and make batch cocktails instead.

There are two easy ways to figure out how to batch a cocktail: You can calculate the batch by how many guests you're hosting and the number of servings needed or by the size of the alcohol bottles you're using and how many they'll serve.

Skip standing at the bar the whole night and opt for cocktails that easily come together in batches and don't require any fancy layering methods. If you go this route, your guests will likely still be thrilled to sip your drinks, and you'll almost certainly enjoy yourself a little bit more. With that said, the biggest step to preparing pitcher cocktails is to make sure you have enough.

You can measure the cocktails in two ways: the number of guests or the size of the alcohol vessel. If you go the guest route, you'll want to prepare several servings to ensure everyone has enough. If your party lasts two hours, assume you'll need about three drinks per person. Multiply that by the number of guests, then scale the cocktail recipe to reflect the total servings you'll need.

You can also measure by the size of the alcohol bottle that's being used. For example, if you're going the champagne or wine route, you'll get about six glasses of champagne from one bottle and about five glasses of wine. If you're hosting a two-hour party, you'll need about one bottle of wine for every two people.

Not all cocktails are created equal. Some don't translate well to batches, especially if there is a special process of layering certain ingredients in the drink. If you're preparing a batch cocktail, the easiest route is likely to make a sangria recipe. Sangria is mostly made with wine, so it's a cost-effective drink that can also sit and marinate for quite a while — and it only gets better as it sits.

Another easy batch cocktail is a classic margarita. Though the drink is traditionally shaken before being served, it's not mandatory. Just pour the cocktail over ice, and your guests are good to go. You can also make it with margarita mix, which might not have quite the same authentic flavor but will certainly make your life easier as a host. Rum punch, prosecco spritzes, and even hot toddies are all good options for creating big-batch cocktails, too.