NEW YEAR’S COCKTAILS AND MOCKTAILS

IN THE SPIRIT

Nights out will become evenings in for many of us this New Year’s. While we entertain in our homes, the principles of being a good host remain the same. Keep guests fed, hydrated and be sure to have non-alcoholic drinks such as mocktails on hand. Even with smaller groups, batch cocktails make preparing for the evening easier.

5 TIPS FOR BATCH COCKTAILS

Stirred, Not Shaken – scaling a recipe from 1 to 3 or 4 is easieraccomplished with stirred, rather than shaken cocktails. Simply multiply the ingredients by the number of desired servings and place in a pitcher in the refrigerator to keep cold until serving.

Dilution – if you want to completely pre-make your cocktail, consider when shaking or stirring a drink there is a dilution factor from the melting ice. Mix all of your ingredients together without including ice and store in your refrigerator to keep cold until your guests arrive. Once guests arrive, serve each cocktail in an ice filled glass.

Eggs – while most ingredients can be used for batch cocktails, egg whites typically need to be shaken vigorously just before serving to deliver the desired froth. This cannot be achieved through batch cocktails so avoid recipes calling for egg whites. Exception being recipes such as eggnog that are not using egg for the froth but to add richness and depth to the drink.

Syrups – simple syrups can be your best friend for batch cocktails, as they come in a large range of flavours from fresh herbs, to fruit and the robust flavours of baking spices. They also don’t have to be limited to a single flavour. If a cocktail recipe calls for a fresh herb and fresh fruit, consider making a syrup using both, like our Orange Thyme Syrup. Add your alcohol and any other ingredients. Taste, add water if necessary, and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Bubbles – sparkling drinks can quickly lose their fizz. Premix the non-sparkling ingredients and keep chilled. When the time comes to serve, portion out the mix and then top with chilled sparkling wine.