Cocktail Batch Scaling Calculator
Scale a single cocktail recipe up to a large batch, add the right dilution water, and see how many spirit bottles you need.
How it works
Batch = per-drink volume × servings · Dilution water = batch × dilution% · Bottles = spirit oz × 29.5735 ÷ 750
Batching multiplies every ingredient of one drink by the number of servings, which keeps the balance identical to the single-glass recipe. The one part you cannot skip is dilution: shaking or stirring a made-to-order drink adds roughly 20–30% water from melting ice, so a pre-batched cocktail served over fresh ice tastes harsh unless you pre-add that water. Batch the syrup and citrus close to service, since fresh juice fades within a day or so.
Worked example
For 12 margaritas at 2 oz tequila, 1 oz orange liqueur, 0.75 oz lime and 0.5 oz syrup, one drink is 4.25 oz. The batch is 4.25 × 12 = 51 oz; adding 25% dilution (12.75 oz water) gives 63.75 oz total, and the 24 oz of tequila is about 0.95 of a 750 ml bottle.
Frequently asked questions
Why add water to a batched cocktail?
A drink shaken or stirred with ice picks up 20–30% of its volume as melt-water, which is part of the intended balance. A batch poured over fresh ice has not had that dilution yet, so pre-adding water prevents an overly strong, unbalanced drink.
How far ahead can I batch?
Spirit-only batches (like a Manhattan or Negroni) keep for weeks refrigerated. Anything with citrus juice is best mixed within a day, as fresh juice loses brightness quickly — batch the boozy part ahead and add juice near service.
How many bottles will I need?
Multiply the per-drink spirit by your guest count to get total ounces, then divide by 25.36 (the ounces in a 750 ml bottle). The calculator does this for the main spirit automatically.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.