When it’s summery and gorgeous outside, and you’re having a party or attending one, the last thing you want to be doing is spending hours making the drinks. You also don’t want to be making cocktails for everyone all night long if you’re hosting.
What’s the solution?
Pre-make and bottle your cocktails in big batches, or choose simple recipes that take two seconds to make. Keep scrolling to get inspired by our favorite, easy and summery cocktail recipes. Plus, look for our in-store display of all the ingredients you’ll need!
HOW TO PRE-BATCH COCKTAILS
SUPPLIES – swing-top glass bottles, funnel, measuring cup
TIMING – Make the batched cocktail 3-4 days in advance and refrigerate. If you’re using fruit juices, make it the day of—they’re perishable and best the day they’re squeezed.
ADDING WATER IN ADVANCE – When you shake a cocktail with ice, the ice actually melts and dilutes the drink. So, when you pre-make a cocktail that usually needs to be shaken, add some water—about 1/5 the volume. This ensures that each drink will taste balanced.
MATH – Our recipes here are in parts, so that you can make as much or as little as you need. One drink or serving usually has around 2 oz. of the base spirit.
SERVING – Serve each cocktail according the recipe directions. Some are over ice, others are poured into a chilled glass, and others are blended with crushed ice.
PISCO SOUR
Pisco is a type brandy (it’s distilled from the juice of grapes), usually made in Peru or Chile (where the Pisco Sour is the national drink). Icy, frothy, sweet and tart, this drink is super refreshing and great for summer.
Ingredients
– 2 parts Pisco (Try Ocucaje Pisco)
– 1 part Simple Syrup (Try Stirrings Simple Syrup)
– 1 part egg whites
– 1 part fresh lime juice
Garnish: Dash of Bitters (Try Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters)
Directions: Combine and blend all ingredients. When ready to serve, add crushed ice in a blender or shaker. Blend on high for 15 seconds, or shake for 1 minute, then serve. Garnish with 3 dashes of bitters.
*A bottle of Ocucaje Pisco makes around 12 drinks, with 2 oz of Pisco per serving.
CANALE TORINO
If you like Aperol or Campari, you’ll like this recipe which uses Cappelletti Aperitivo, a red, tasty, wine-based bitter aperitif made in Italy. This Canale Torino recipe is based on one by chef Jimmy Bradley at The Harrison, NYC.
Ingredients
– 2 parts Cappelletti Aperitivo
– 2 parts Dry Vermouth (Try Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth)
-1 part Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
Garnish: Orange Peel Twist
Directions: Combine all ingredients and ⅕ volume with water if pre-batching. When ready to serve, pour into a glass of ice & garnish. If making individually, add ingredients with 2 cups of ice into a shaker. Shake, then strain into a glass. Garnish with orange peel twist.
*A bottle of Cappelletti Aperitivo makes around 12 drinks, with 2 oz of Cappelletti per serving.
NEGRONI
A Negroni has just three parts: gin, Campari, & sweet vermouth. You can customize it by swapping out the ingredients, and we love Meletti 1870. A sweet/bitter orange Italian aperitivo, Meletti 1870 is a new, deliciously complex recipe from the Meletti distillery.
Ingredients
– 1 part Gin (try Ford’s Gin)
– 1 part Meletti 1870
– 1 part Dolin Rouge Vermouth
Garnish: Orange Wedge
Directions: Combine all ingredients. To serve, pour over a glass full of ice, and stir well. Garnish with orange wedge.
*One bottle of Meletti 1870 will make around 16 servings, with 1.5 oz per drink. You’ll have leftover gin!
MAINE COOLER
Just like a Tom Collins with vodka, plus yummy lavender-lemon syrup by Royal Rose. Refreshing, sweet, sour, and with a touch of lavender! Try Aylesbury Duck Vodka, which is clean, grainy, spicy and plays well in mixed drinks. (Based on the creation by Andrew Volk of the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club.)
Ingredients
– 2 parts Vodka (Try Aylesbury Duck Vodka)
– 1 part Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Syrup
– 1 part Lemon Juice
– Top off club soda
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Directions: Combine vodka, syrup, & lemon juice. Serve over ice and with lemon wedge. If making individually, shake ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass and top with soda.
*One bottle of Aylesbury Duck Vodka makes around 16 servings, with about 2 oz. of vodka per drink.
PALOMA
Ahh, the Paloma. Popular in Mexico, it’s a winning mix of tequila, grapefruit soda, and fresh lime juice. Try it with Tequila Cabeza, which is made from 100% agave, grown in the Los Altos region by the Vivanco family for five generations.
Ingredients
– 2 parts Tequila (Try Tequila Cabeza)
– 1 part Lime Juice
– Top with Pellegrino Pompelmo (grapefruit soda)
Garnish: Lime Wedge & Salt Rim
Directions: Combine tequila and lime juice. When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice, add mixture, pinch of coarse salt, and top with grapefruit soda. Stir.
* One bottle of Tequila Cabeza will make you around 16 servings, with about 2 oz. of tequila per drink.
GRUMPY CUP
Our own recipe! A Grumpy Cup is just like a Pimm’s Cup, but with Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Proceed with caution.
Ingredients
– 2 oz Pimm’s
– ½ btl. Crabbie’s Ginger Beer
– Lemon Juice
Garnish: Lemon Wedge
Directions: Fill a glass with ice, pour over with Pimm’s, and top off with Crabbie’s. Stir. Squeeze lemon wedge.
*A bottle of Pimm’s makes about 15 Grumpy Cup servings.
KALIMOTXO
Red wine and Coca-cola?! Don’t knock it till you try it. Popular in Basque-country, it tastes kind of like a sangria, minus the namby-pamby chopping of fruit. Especially refreshing with a squeeze of lemon, say hello to your new summer favorite!
Ingredients
– 1 part Red Wine (try Taron Rioja)
– 1 part Coca-Cola de Mexico
Garnish: Lemon Wedge
Directions: Fill a glass with ice, and combine equal parts red wine and cola. Garnish with lemon wedge.
*A bottle of Taron Rioja makes around 8-10 Kalimotxo’s, with 3-4oz of red wine per serving.
CHARRED GRAPEFRUIT TONIC
A cool twist on a classic tonic, and easy to make! Bittermilk Charred Grapefruit is the perfect combination of citrus juices, organic cane sugar, cinchona bark, and fresh charred grapefruit peel.
Ingredients
– 1 part Rum (Try Caña Brava Rum)
– 1 part Bittermilk No. 5 Charred Grapefruit Tonic
– 1 part Club Soda
Garnish: Lime Wedge
Directions: Combine all ingredients, serve in a glass over ice. Garnish with lime wedge.
*One bottle of Caña Brava Rum and Bittermilk No. 5 Charred Grapefruit Tonic will make around 12 servings, with about 1.5oz of each ingredient per serving. You’ll have plenty of leftover rum!
Cheers!
