Batch Cocktails Is the Book You Need for Your Next Holiday Party.
Welcome to Cookbook of the Week. In this series, I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While searching for a specific recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has its own magic.
I’m bringing a different type of cookbook this week. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and you’ve probably already planned your menu; your ingredients are purchased, your pie crust is cooling, and I’m praying your turkey is defrosting in the refrigerator. Depending on what the Thanksgiving table has in store for us, whether it’s fun or terrible conversation, I think a drink is in order, don’t you? This week’s Cookbook of the Week is Batch Cocktails .
Just a few years ago I started making cocktails for parties and it changed everything for me as a host. For those unfamiliar, dosing is when you prepare a large amount of a drink in advance, pre-mixing it so that it can be easily poured with little more than a piece of ice or a splash of tonic water. Do this and you’ll have less to look after guests, less to clean, and more freedom to get creative with a fancy signature drink.
Making cocktails for parties is the number one tip I recommend for people hosting, and there will be a lot of them in the next five weeks. This book can help.
A little about the book
Batch Cocktails, written by Maggie Hoffman and published in 2019, is a lot like having your eccentric best friend in the kitchen. She tells you to try something weird – like mixing coffee and grapefruit juice – you’d never believe it if someone else told you, but he’s your best friend, so, okay. And guess what? It’s good that you listened.
This book contains 65 cocktail recipes, with an entire chapter dedicated to non-alcoholic drinks. While Hoffman has a fountain of original spirits recipes (she founded the drinks section of Serious Eats magazine and designs libations for Epicurious ), her second book features recipes from bartenders from bars and restaurants across the country. Turn? Single-serve cocktails have evolved from chic cocktail bars into servings that can be served in your home for 8 to 12 people without any restrictions.
But making a strong drink is more than just lengthening the list of ingredients and throwing the booze in the fridge. Consideration should be given to fresh fruit juices, herbal infusions, carbonated additives and the important issue of proper dilution. Hoffman prioritizes taste, alcohol balance, and ease of pouring.
Great book for the smart party host
You are not just the host of the party, and this is not just a collection of simple drinks. This is a selection of sophisticated and glamorous cocktails that are sure to impress, with all the math of multiplying and diluting when making large batches taken care of for you. Even if you double up one of these batches, doing the math will be much easier than starting from scratch. You know how to throw a party and that makes you very smart indeed.
If you want to create an impressive and delicious punch that will make your guests’ eyes light up, this is the cocktail book for you. If you’ve been looking for a winter-themed drink for your holiday party (or spring birthday, or summer eclipse party) and want to be able to freely mingle and enjoy your own party, this book is for you. Batch Cocktails brings you delicious and fun recipes, make-ahead timings, and drinks that are gorgeous, inventive, and downright festive. When it’s party time, you can simply pour and enjoy.
Recipes You Can Expect
The recipes are grouped into chapters titled by basic flavor profiles, such as “Spicy and Smoky,” “Spicy,” or “Fruity and Tart,” with conversions and batch-making tips at the end of the book. Most recipes have a reasonable ingredient list of four to eight ingredients, including liqueurs, syrups, citrus juices and water, although there are some punch recipes that call for more ingredients.
Hoffman is specific in her alcohol recommendations, providing helpful examples. For example, she’ll write something like “1 glass of 100 proof rye (like Rittenhouse)” rather than just “whisky.” Including the proof, type of whiskey and giving an example name is extremely helpful, however it can also limit you depending on what you have available in your area. Many recipes include something more specialized, such as Chartreuse or Punt e Mes vermouth. So unless you have a particularly reliable and varied bar at home, you’ll need access to a liquor store with a pretty sophisticated selection to get the specialty booze you need, or give yourself enough time to get it delivered.
However, once you have the necessary ingredients, Hoffman’s instructions become crystal clear. In the title of each recipe, she provides an anecdote or description of the flavors, followed by usually two to four paragraphs devoted to mixing, timing and cooling details. Any recipe that includes homemade elements, such as cranberry liqueur, will be detailed at the bottom of the page and will never be more complicated than a simple situation that requires boiling and straining.
In addition to the main table of contents, this book contains several unexpected and perhaps more useful sublists. Directly following her advice on aging cocktails is a list of “drinks that preserve” and their page numbers. There’s an entire section in the back with drink suggestions by season and occasion, such as the best drinks to make for Thanksgiving, as well as for an engagement party or “TV and takeout.”
The drink I made this week
I had a hard time making a decision this week. There are quite a few gorgeous, show-stopping recipes that I’ve bookmarked for my Christmas party next month (too bad I have to narrow it down to two), but what should I pick for a typical week? Well, a whole week has passed, so I moved on to the Drunk chapter (slowing down on Bitter, but moving forward) and settled on Bardstown.
Bardstown is a drink made from dry curacao, rye whiskey and apple brandy in a 1:2:3 ratio with an accent of orange bitters. The title says, “This is a very powerful number…” and one sip definitely raised hairs on my chest. But in this case, it wasn’t the ABV that sold me; her description was accurate. Hoffman describes the influence of the aromatic citrus fruits as they complement the rye and brandy, and I definitely noticed how those little additions of bitters and orange notes softened the fiery undertones of this strong drink. Plus, I love that it’s one of the “drinks that last.” I can keep leftover Bardstown in the refrigerator until I need it, whether it’s a party or a relaxing Thursday.
How to buy
Think it’s too late for Thanksgiving? Not like that! Batch Cocktails is available in both eBook and hardcover . You can get it right away using the Kindle app (which can be downloaded to any smartphone or tablet). Once you have a copy, write down the list of ingredients and head to the liquor store. Or better yet, a delegate. Let me recommend the Perfect Circle cocktail. It has a simple list of ingredients, bitter and sweet aperitif qualities. Ideal before a holiday dinner.
If you insist on purchasing the printed version (which I understand is very nice), you may not have time to get it by Thanksgiving, but you will have plenty of time in time for Christmas or New Year’s celebrations.