Bottled CocktailsHow to Make Pre-Mixed, Ready-to-Pour Cocktails at Home

To bottle a cocktail, multiply the recipe, add the water that stirring or shaking would have added (about 20 to 25%), and chill it in a clean swing-top bottle. Spirit-only drinks keep for weeks in the fridge or freezer; drinks with fresh citrus keep 3 to 5 days.

This guide explains which cocktails bottle well, the dilution math, how long each type keeps and how to serve them. Five recipes (each written for 8 drinks) have a bottled zero-proof twin too, so every guest has a pour.

What Are Bottled Cocktails?

A bottled cocktail is a drink you mix once, in bulk, and store in a bottle so you can pour a perfect one on demand. It is the opposite of a ready-to-drink cocktail from a store: you control the ingredients, the strength and the cost. A bottle in the fridge or freezer turns a 5-minute cocktail into a 10-second one, and it is a lovely gift.

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Which Cocktails Bottle Well, and Which Do Not

Good for bottling: spirit-forward, stirred drinks (the old fashioned, Manhattan and Negroni), and drinks made with stable juices (a paloma, with fresh juice, for a few days).

Not good for bottling: anything with egg white, cream, fresh herbs or sparkling ingredients. These spoil quickly or go flat. Add cream, bubbles and garnishes at serving time. For bigger-party versions of the same idea, see batch cocktails and pitcher cocktails.

How to Bottle a Cocktail: The Dilution Math

When you stir or shake a cocktail with ice, it picks up about 20 to 25% water. In a bottle there is no ice, so you add that water yourself. The cards below do the math for you: set the servings and the card adds the water line. Use exact measures.

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Start with clean, fully dry bottles: spoilage begins with the bottle. Wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and let them air-dry upside down.

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Use a funnel and a measuring jug, since you need exact amounts for the water, then seal, shake gently and chill.

How Long Do Bottled Cocktails Keep?

Type	Example	Fridge	Freezer
Spirit only	Old fashioned	Several weeks	Months
Spirit with vermouth	Manhattan, Negroni	About 3 to 4 weeks	A few months
With coffee	Espresso martini	About 1 week	Not recommended
With fresh citrus	Paloma	3 to 5 days	Not recommended
Zero-proof	Tea old fashioned	3 to 5 days	Not recommended

Alcohol is a preservative, which is why spirit-only drinks last so much longer. Zero-proof drinks have no alcohol to protect them, so treat them like fresh tea or juice: keep them cold, use them within a few days and discard them if they smell or taste off. Vermouth is wine, so a bottle with vermouth in it will slowly oxidize.

Fridge or Freezer?

Spirit-only cocktails at about 30% ABV or more stay liquid or turn slightly slushy in a home freezer, so they pour ice-cold straight from the bottle. Drinks with juice or lower strength freeze solid, so keep those in the fridge.

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5 Bottled Cocktail Recipes

Each recipe is for 8 drinks. Pour 3 to 4 oz into a glass over a large ice cube, and finish with a peel or garnish.

Bottled Old Fashioned

Spirit-only, so it keeps for weeks. Pour it over a big ice cube and add an orange peel.

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· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

Rocks glassStirred10 minStrong · 33%

Rocks glassStirred10 minZero-proof · 0.0%

The pour · 18¾ oz (2⅓ cups)

The pour · 18¾ oz (2⅓ cups)

Bottled Old Fashioned

Bottled Tea Old Fashioned

Eight old fashioneds in a bottle.

With spiritZero-proof

ozml

Serves124Pitcher · 8Punch bowl · 16

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• bourbon or rye16 oz (2 cups)
• rich demerara syrup (2:1)2 oz
• aromatic bitters16 dashes
• orange bitters8 dashes

GarnishOrange peel over a large ice cube

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• strong black tea (half lapsang souchong), chilled16 oz (2 cups)
• rich demerara syrup (2:1)2 oz
• non-alcoholic bitters24 dashes
• salt2 pinches

GarnishOrange peel over a large ice cube

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Method

1. 1Combine everything with the dilution water shown on the card in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean swing-top bottles and seal.
3. 3Chill for at least 2 hours. To serve, pour 3 oz over a large ice cube and express an orange peel.

Method

1. 1Combine everything in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean swing-top bottles and seal.
3. 3Keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days. To serve, pour 3 oz over a large ice cube and express an orange peel.

How the swap works

Smoky, strong tea mimics the tannin and char of whiskey; it has no alcohol, so it keeps only a few days.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · make it zero-proofZero-proof twin · see the cocktail · 1 oz = 30 ml

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Bottled Manhattan

Stir once, pour, chill, and you have it on demand. Serve it straight up in a coupe with a cherry.

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· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

CoupeStirred10 minStrong · 30%

CoupeStirred10 minZero-proof · 0.0%

The pour · 25 oz (3 cups)

The pour · 23 oz (2¾ cups)

Bottled Manhattan

Bottled Tea Manhattan

Eight Manhattans in a bottle.

With spiritZero-proof

ozml

Serves124Pitcher · 8Punch bowl · 16

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• rye whiskey16 oz (2 cups)
• sweet vermouth8 oz (1 cup)
• aromatic bitters16 dashes

GarnishBrandied cherry

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• strong black tea, chilled14 oz (1¾ cups)
• unsweetened tart cherry juice6 oz
• rich syrup2 oz
• non-alcoholic bitters16 dashes

GarnishBrandied cherry

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Method

1. 1Combine everything with the dilution water shown on the card in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean bottles and seal.
3. 3Keep in the fridge. To serve, pour 3 oz into a chilled coupe and add a cherry.

Method

1. 1Combine everything in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean bottles and seal.
3. 3Keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days. To serve, pour 3 oz into a chilled coupe and add a cherry.

How the swap works

Tart cherry juice and a little rich syrup copy the dark fruit and sweetness of vermouth, and tea gives the structure of rye.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · make it zero-proofZero-proof twin · see the cocktail · 1 oz = 30 ml

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Bottled Negroni

Equal parts, perfectly even every time. It is the easiest drink on this list.

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· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

Rocks glassStirred8 minStrong · 23%

Rocks glassStirred8 minZero-proof · < 0.5%

The pour · 24 oz (3 cups)

The pour · 24 oz (3 cups)

Bottled Negroni

Bottled Nogroni

Eight Negronis in a bottle.

With spiritZero-proof

ozml

Serves124Pitcher · 8Punch bowl · 16

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• gin8 oz (1 cup)
• red bitter liqueur8 oz (1 cup)
• sweet vermouth8 oz (1 cup)

GarnishOrange slice over a large ice cube

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• strong black tea, chilled8 oz (1 cup)
• non-alcoholic bitter aperitif8 oz (1 cup)
• pomegranate juice4 oz
• verjus4 oz

GarnishOrange slice over a large ice cube

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Method

1. 1Combine everything with the dilution water shown on the card in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean bottles and seal.
3. 3Keep in the fridge. To serve, pour 3 oz over a large ice cube and add an orange slice.

Method

1. 1Combine everything in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean bottles and seal.
3. 3Keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days. To serve, pour 3 oz over a large ice cube and add an orange slice.

How the swap works

A non-alcoholic bitter aperitif plays the red bitter, pomegranate and verjus play the vermouth and tea gives the gin's structure.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · make it zero-proofZero-proof twin · see the cocktail · 1 oz = 30 ml

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Bottled Espresso Martini

Shake it with ice when you pour, to bring back the foam. Use cold brew rather than espresso, since it keeps better.

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· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

CoupeShaken10 minMedium · 18%

CoupeShaken10 minZero-proof · 0.0%

The pour · 28 oz (3½ cups)

The pour · 20 oz (2½ cups)

Bottled Espresso Martini

Bottled Cold Brew Cream

Eight espresso martinis in a bottle.

With spiritZero-proof

ozml

Serves124Pitcher · 8Punch bowl · 16

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• vodka12 oz (1½ cups)
• coffee liqueur8 oz (1 cup)
• cold brew concentrate8 oz (1 cup)

GarnishThree coffee beans

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• cold brew concentrate16 oz (2 cups)
• rich syrup4 oz
• salt2 pinches

GarnishThree coffee beans

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Method

1. 1Combine everything with the dilution water shown on the card in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean bottles and seal. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.
3. 3To serve, shake 3 oz hard with ice, strain into a coupe and add three coffee beans.

Method

1. 1Combine everything in a jug and stir well.
2. 2Funnel into clean bottles and seal. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.
3. 3To serve, shake 3 oz with 1 oz cream and ice, strain into a coupe and add three coffee beans.

How the swap works

Cream is added at serving time, since it does not keep; shaking it with the cold brew makes the foam.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · make it zero-proofZero-proof twin · see the cocktail · 1 oz = 30 ml

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Bottled Paloma

Fresh grapefruit means it is best within a few days. Add the soda at serving time.

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· Cocktail spec · Zero-proof spec

HighballShaken10 minLight · 9%

HighballShaken10 minZero-proof · 0.0%

The pour · 56 oz (7 cups)

The pour · 48 oz (6 cups)

Bottled Paloma

Bottled Grapefruit Sparkler

Eight palomas in a bottle, with the soda added at serving time.

With spiritZero-proof

ozml

Serves124Pitcher · 8Punch bowl · 16

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• tequila16 oz (2 cups)
• fresh grapefruit juice16 oz (2 cups)
• fresh lime juice4 oz
• agave syrup4 oz
• Top with grapefruit soda or club soda, at servingabout 16 oz (2 cups)

GarnishSalted rim and a grapefruit wedge

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Ingredients (8 drinks)

• fresh grapefruit juice16 oz (2 cups)
• strong black tea, chilled8 oz (1 cup)
• fresh lime juice4 oz
• agave syrup4 oz
• Top with club soda, at servingabout 16 oz (2 cups)

GarnishSalted rim and a grapefruit wedge

Batching it? Stir in of cold water — the dilution the ice would add — chill 2+ hours, then pour over fresh ice. Skip it if you'll still shake or stir each drink.

Method

1. 1Combine the tequila, juices and agave in a jug and stir well, then funnel into clean bottles and seal.
2. 2Keep in the fridge and use within 3 to 5 days.
3. 3To serve, pour 4 oz over ice in a salt-rimmed glass and top with 2 oz soda.

Method

1. 1Combine the juices, tea and agave in a jug and stir well, then funnel into clean bottles and seal.
2. 2Keep in the fridge and use within 3 to 5 days.
3. 3To serve, pour 4 oz over ice in a salt-rimmed glass and top with 2 oz soda.

How the swap works

Tea replaces the tequila's volume and bite; because there is no alcohol, the drink is best used within a few days.

Enjoy responsibly · legal drinking age only · make it zero-proofZero-proof twin · see the cocktail · 1 oz = 30 ml

Print spec

Pour bottled drinks over fresh ice, add a peel, and it is ready.

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Bottled Cocktails as Gifts and for Parties

A small bottle of a favorite cocktail makes a good gift: tie it with twine and a sprig of rosemary and add a card with the serving instructions and the date it was made. Bottles also travel well, which makes them ideal for picnics, boats and potlucks.

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For a Christmas party, see the Christmas batch cocktails; for a favorite classic, the old fashioned recipe and classic cocktails; and for a lighter option, vodka seltzer.

Zero-Proof Bottled Drinks

Bottle a zero-proof version too, so every guest has a pour. The twins use strong black tea, a little syrup, non-alcoholic bitters and a pinch of salt to copy the body of spirit. Keep them in the fridge and use them within a few days, since there is no alcohol to preserve them. For the method, see how to make mocktails.

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