🥃 Batch Cocktail Pitcher Calculator
Enter your per-serving spirit amount and number of servings to scale up a pitcher batch. Pre-batched drinks skip ice dilution during mixing, so this adds a water allowance to replace it.
Spirit first, then the water the ice would have given
Nothing gets stirred over ice in a pitcher, so the melt has to be poured in deliberately:
total spirit (oz) = per serving × servings
dilution water (oz) = total spirit × percent / 100
batch volume (oz) = total spirit + dilution waterThe defaults - 2 oz across 8 servings at 25% - give 16 oz of spirit, 4 oz of water and a 20 oz batch, which is 591 ml. Adding water also drops the strength: a 40% spirit batched this way pours at 40 × 16 / 20 = 32%.
Two things to get right before you pour
- The percentage is of the spirit, not the finished drink. The usual bar figures are quoted the other way round, so convert before typing: 22% of final volume when stirring is 28% here, and 30% when shaking is 43%. Divide the quoted figure by one minus itself.
- Enter every liquid in the per-serving box, not just the base spirit. A Negroni serving is 3 oz of liquid, so type 3 - entering 1 for the gin leaves the batch two thirds short and over-diluted.
Frequently asked questions
How much water do I add to a batched cocktail?
Around 25-30% of the spirit volume for a drink you would normally stir, and 35-45% for one you would shake. Sixteen ounces of spirit takes four to five ounces of water at the stirred end.
How much cocktail do I need per person?
Plan on two drinks each for the first hour and one an hour after that. Eight servings at 2 oz of spirit covers four people for a short evening.
How long does a pre-batched cocktail keep?
Spirits, vermouth and syrup keep for weeks sealed and cold. Anything with fresh citrus turns dull within a day, so add lime or lemon juice on the night rather than batching it in.