Making a big batch for mocktails and cocktails is a life-saving idea when throwing a large party.
Unless you feel like making drinks on demand throughout the duration of the party, making a big batch allows your guests to easily refresh themselves and requires no chaperoning.
I personally believe as a host you should be able to enjoy the party that you spent the time to plan.
I was recently asked by my sister-in-law to create some mocktails for her baby shower and I want to share with you guys exactly how I made and calculated the big batches.
I will be using one of the mocktails I made specifically for this party as the example.
So Let’s go ahead and learn how to make this mocktail into a big batch!
Contents
Model Mocktail Recipe
The mocktail we will be using as an example is called a “Baby Bump.” Check out the recipe below!
What you need
These are the items you will need to put together the big batch.
- Large container: You need something to hold the big batch.
- Large measuring cup: I use a large quart size measuring cup with markings that signifies cups, ounces, and milliliters. You can pretty much find these at any store. (Here is one on amazon for reference)
- The ingredients for your mocktail or cocktail recipe: What ingredients you need will depend on what your recipe requires.
- Long ladle or spoon: You will use this to stir and incorporate the drink ingredients.
How to measure
For this exercise I will be converting all liquid measurements to ounces (oz), however you can use whatever measurement system you are comfortable with.
Volume of container
First, take note of how much volume your container for the big batch is able to hold.
My container holds about 2 gallons.
2 gallons = 256 oz.
total recipe ounces
Next, pick a drink recipe and add together the ounces of each of the ingredients.
My recipe is a total of 4 oz of liquid, before water dilution.
1/2 oz honey syrup + 1 oz lime juice + 1 1/2 oz cucumber juice = 4 oz
This tip applies to all recipes: For every 4 ounces of liquid add 1/2 oz of water to the total. This will ensure proper water dilution in the batch so people aren’t just drinking straight up juice.
New recipe ounce total = 4 ½ oz.
(I didn’t count any basil from my example recipe into this calculation simply because it doesn’t take up much space in the 2 gallon container)
total serving size
Now we are going to calculate how many servings of the mocktail will fit comfortably into the 2 gallon big batch container.
This is the formula to calculate the total serving size in the big batch container:
[Big batch container ounces] divided by [total ounces for mocktail] = [servings]
256 oz (large container) divided by 4.5 oz (mocktail) = 56 servings
each ingredient’s serving size
Now we are going to look back at our recipe and multiply each ingredient by 56 which will tell us the amount of serving ounces to measure into our big batch. (Like said earlier, I didn’t count any basil into this calculation either)
This is the formula to calculate how many servings of each ingredient needed:
[recipe ingredient (oz)] multiplied by [servings] = [ingredient amount (oz) for big batch]
Here’s the recipe for example
1.5 oz cucumber juice x 56 = 84 oz
1 oz lime x 56 = 56 oz
½ oz honey syrup x 56 = 28 oz
1 oz rose x 56 = 56 oz
2 basil leaves each serving (not counted)
1/2 oz water x 56 = 28 oz
Now we know exactly how many ounces of each ingredient from the recipe we are going to measure into our batch.
84 oz cucumber juice + 56 oz lime juice + 56 oz rose + 28 oz honey syrup + 28 oz water + basil leaves
How to assemble the big batch
From here, making the big batch is super easy! Simply just measure the ingredients into the large batch container and stir.
Tip: Before adding in the recipe ingredients, add water to the large big batch container and dispense it to check for any leakage or cracks in the container. After you’ve checked the container, drain the water and then you will be ready to batch your recipe.
If you want to make your big batch mocktail or cocktail more aesthetically appealing, you can get creative and add some freshly cut ingredients or herbs that match the recipe you’re making and float them in the batch.
Quick tips for adding ice:
- If you want to add ice to the batch container, it should take the place of the water measurement.
- If you add ice to the batch after already adding the water measurement, then you risk the batch tasting watered down.
- Make sure to add all the recipe ingredients in the container first and then add the ice last.
How to serve and enjoy
When you are ready to serve, make sure to fill ice in your cup before dispensing the drink. This will keep the drink at a perfect balance of sweetness and dilution.
Even though we added water to the batch already, it will still taste like mostly juice. The ice in your cup will also ensure your drink will stay cold as you are sipping.
If you prefer to only dispense the liquid into your cup with no ice, that’s cool too! In that case you will want to add more ice into the big batch container and less of the other ingredients when assembling.
I don’t have a perfect measurement for this calculation but my best guess would be to divide all the recipe ingredient amounts by a ¼ oz and the remainder amount of room left in the big batch container will be enough dilution for you to add the ice. But again, this is not a perfect guesstimate.
I hope you found this post about making big batch mocktails and cocktails helpful for your next party. Cheers!
This post was all about making a big batch for cocktails and mocktails
