Food Holidays & Occasions Cocktail Party How to Make Large-Batch Holiday Cocktails for a Crowd Here are festive and classic cocktails you can easily batch for your guests. By Lucy Simon Lucy Simon Lucy Simon is a New York-based wine, spirits, and food writer has been with Food & Wine since the spring of 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 17, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes If you’ve ever worked in restaurants, bars, or coffee shops, or even so much as hosted a dinner party, there’s a good chance you know what it feels like to be in the weeds in the kitchen. During peak pressure points, when drink tickets pile up and chaos is everywhere, professional bartenders turn toward cocktails premade in large batches, which can be poured in seconds for dozens of customers. “Batched cocktails take the guesswork out of serving drinks,” says Kaitlyn Stewart, who was named the World Class Global Bartender of the Year in 2017 and who shares her tips and recipes on Instagram @likeablecocktails. “You get consistency from the first drink to the last, and ultimately, you get the drink in the guest’s hand more quickly.” While not every aspect of professional bartending translates well to home entertaining (I am not hand-carving ice at home, sorry!), batching cocktails ahead of time makes parties a cinch. Here are some of our favorite make ahead holiday cocktails. 01 of 07 Spiked and Spiced Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes Piquant and slightly lemony, ginger tea gives this sweet-and-sour tequila and pomegranate cocktail an underlying soothing, warming spiciness. The crisp, clean flavor of blanco tequila allows the tart pomegranate juice and sweet maple syrup to shine. Get the Recipe 02 of 07 Little Lebowski Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes The White Russian, a boozy, caffeinated cocktail made with cream and coffee liqueur, was popularized by the 1998 feature film The Big Lebowski. Stewart’s playful and aptly named Little Lebowski subs in velvety eggnog for heavy cream, giving this holiday-ready cocktail a custard-like richness that’s countered by bittersweet notes of cold brew coffee, coffee liqueur, and amaro. Get the Recipe 03 of 07 Tom and Jerry Chelsea Kyle / Food Styling by Drew Aichele Typically made around Christmastime, the Tom and Jerry is a classic Cognac and rum-spiked cocktail that looks and tastes a lot like eggnog and can be batched the night before serving. Get the Recipe 04 of 07 Bushels and Barrel Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes The combination of tangy apple cider, sweet apple brandy, and cinnamon syrup creates a warming, autumnal bourbon cocktail that has the aroma of fresh apple pie. Get the Recipe 05 of 07 High and Dry Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Risha Carnes Much like a Negroni, this cocktail draws on the citrusy flavors of Campari and the herbaceous notes of gin. Building on the flavors of a classic Negroni, the High and Dry calls for orange blossom water which gives the drink powerful floral citrus flavor with just a few drops. Get the Recipe 06 of 07 Datu Datu Martini Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen The strong juniper flavor of London Dry Gin is balanced by the warming spices, gentle fruity sweetness, and acidity of the Datu Puti vinegar in this martini recipe that can be stored in the freezer for up to a month for ready-in-seconds batched cocktails. Get the Recipe 07 of 07 Bottled Manhattan Greg DuPree Pre-mixing batches of this rye-forward Manhattan in bottles means no more stirring drinks at the last minute or fussing with ice and strainers. When your guests arrive, you can spend time being a good host rather than a frazzled bartender. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit