Big batch cocktails
Your guide to making Tiki drinks for a crowd
So the question is, how do you make enough pitchers, punches and pre-mixed tiki drinks for your party, without diluting them down to watery has-beens, knocking out your guests with military grade aviator fuel, or generally fumbling these Polynesian inspired gifts from the gods?
Don’t worry, we’ve taken the hard work out of it for you and have put together a step-by-step guide that caters for everyone from South Pacific starters to hardcore Tiki-philes.
To make sure you’re completely covered, I’ll be going through the following areas:
- Big Batch Basics
- Whatever your event, whatever your crowd, these are the foundations of large scale drinks planning.
- Drink Examples
- Single serve, plus batch calculations.
- Covering seven Tiki cocktails (including a non-alcoholic option) we take a look at three different ways to approach your drink batching – from Pre-mixes to Pitchers and Punches – and why you would choose one method over another.
- Finishing with our Smoking Hot Tiki Tips – guaranteed to take your party punches to the next level.
Shop our exclusive designs on Red Bubble
Now, before we get into the nuts-and-bolts of how to do this, make sure you follow us on Instagram for some of the best tiki cocktail recipes, crafts, tips and tricks out there! Thank you 🥰
BIG BATCH BASICS
How much total volume do you need?
The general rule is to make 1.5 of each cocktail per person if you’re entertaining at home or at some kind of function – but if you’re in a bar then it will likely be higher – probably best to shoot for around 2 per person (unless you know your crowd and can adjust based on experience).
The reason for this ratio is that some people will only drink their normal wine or beer, whilst others may not be drinking at all (and in a large gathering there’s no way of knowing this).
Ingredient proportions
Most of your ingredients, particularly the base ones, can be scaled proportionally in line with the overall volume (doubling, tripling them etc).
But if you’re making pitchers or large punches, you need to be careful of the more aromatic and stronger tasting ingredients such as spices and bitters, or flavoursome syrups like ginger or orgeat, as when you combine them with alcohol their strength is amplified. Particularly as with some (spices), the longer you leave them mixed together, the more of their flavour is released.
Start with half the amount you would proportionally need in scaling them up and add from there based on taste. Eg. if you were making x10 the volume and the recipe calls for 2 dashes of bitter per drink, don’t put 20 dashes in, start with 10 and then adjust as if you were adding salt to a meal, tasting frequently (it’s a hard life 
).
What to mix and when
Some ingredients can be mixed together before hand and stored, whilst others are perishable and should be kept separate until later in the process. Whilst others still are so potent (as mentioned above) that they shouldn’t be added till the final stages.
So for the best results, try and work to the following timeline:
1. BASE INGREDIENTS
- Start with the largest non-aromatic spirit ingredients and work up from there, also adding any modifiers (a modifier is a spirit that softens the base and adds flavour to the drink without overpowering it).
- This base mix will not spoil (it’s pure alcohol), so if you’re prepping for a party then you can make it as far ahead as you’d like.
- And if you’re in a bar and you don’t serve as many as you were hoping, you can save the leftover mix for another time.
2. PERISHABLE INGREDIENTS
- Juices, whether store bought or freshly squeezed, will go off quicker than your other ingredients, so these should be added as close as you can to party time.
- This is particularly important when juicing your own lemons and limes – and believe me, your citrus fruits should ALWAYS be freshly squeezed (NEVER use cordial, and only go store bought if you really really have to).
- Bearing in mind that the later your citrus juices make it into the mix the ‘livelier’ their contribution to the drink’s taste profile will be.
3. SMALL BUT POTENT
- You may be used to making cocktails where you start with the smaller ingredients first, however when you’re making large batch pitchers or punch style drinks, it works the other way around – largest first.
- One of the reasons for this is that the smallest ingredients are often the ones that can make the most difference to the flavour – spices, bitters, citrus and syrups are very strong tasting (imagine how little it takes to overdo the Pernod) – and by putting them in last you can always add a bit more based on taste.
- Of note here are syrups – yes they could be added into your base mix as they don’t go off as such (unless they’re homemade) – but when scaling up drinks it’s far too easy to overpower your mix with sweeteners, and if you do this in the early stages, you’re going to have to rebalance by adding even more of your other ingredients.
4. TOPPERS & FLOATS
- If your recipe includes soda water, Prosecco or Champagne, they should not be mixed into your punch bowl or pre-made pitchers earlier in the day – not if you want to maintain any of the ‘fizz’ these drinks bring to the mix.
- Either add them yourself if serving each drink from pitchers, or alternatively leave a bottle by the punch and let your guests top up themselves – everyone likes to get hands-on at a party!
- And of course the only place for a flaming 151 float is at the very end of your mix, placed lovingly on top and handed carefully to your guests for them to marvel and ‘ooooh’ at, before even more carefully blowing out. Ahh the spectacle of it
Factoring in dilution – to shake or not to shake?
When making a cocktail, a degree of dilution will occur when the ice melts through the act of shaking or stirring. The amount will vary based on the type of ice used and the mixing method applied (slightly more through shaking than stirring).
However, when scaling your drinks up for a crowd, you won’t always be mixing them with ice in the same way as you would an individual cocktail, so how you’re batching your drinks will determine how you account for dilution.
We recommend the following:
- PITCHERS: adding in 25-30% volume of water per serving is the rule of thumb, however as Tiki style drinks are pretty robust and can withstand a greater level of dilution, it’s often easier to drop a good handful of ice cubes into each jug and let them dilute whilst they chill.
- PUNCHES: one large ice chunk placed in the bowl will give you all the dilution you need. Punch recipes are designed to be served in this manner.
- PRE-MIXES: There are going to be some drinks you want to shake (or blend), as the process aerates the liquid and creates a pleasing texture. For these, we recommend pre-mixing and bottling your ingredients and then shaking with ice as and when you serve each drink.
One last thing to bear in mind, if your recipe normally includes a ‘fizz’ topper of any kind (soda water, Champagne etc), you may want to under dilute your base mix just a touch, and allow the fizz to dilute it, with your guests adding it to taste. Or if they’re anything like the crowd I know, they’ll ignore the bubbles and just add more Stroh for kicks and giggles (aaarrgghh!).
In the next section we walk you through examples of each type of ‘batching’, giving you practical advice on how to apply the above… whilst offering up a starter selection of Tiki temptations to Lono himself, all aimed at packing your party off with a punch (Geddit? eh? Wasted. Literally).
PRE-MIXES
The idea of pre-mixing is that you reduce the amount of steps needed to make each drink. In some cases this may only be a slight reduction, but when catering to a crowd and the orders start flying, every little helps.
How do you decide whether a cocktail should be pre-mixed rather than put in a pitcher? (Cos hey, pitcher’s are waaaay easier right?) Any drink that uses creamy ingredients or fruit juices should ideally be shaken – bringing air into the mix and creating a smoother mouthfeel – making this kind of drink perfect for pre-mixing when serving at scale.
The main thing to watch out for when pre-mixing isn’t overpowering the flavours with the more potent ingredients, as these will mostly be added on a drink by drink basis, rather it’s making sure you don’t mix perishable ingredients (such as fresh juices) with your valuable booze too far ahead of time.
The Painkiller and how to pre-mix it
Created in the ’70’s at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the island of Jost van Dyke and trademarked by Pusser’s Rum (their signature drink) – it’s basically a riff on a Pina Colada, with a touch of orange and a much bolder rum. Developed during a time when the British Navy still patrolled the seas and a daily ration of rum was the norm, it does of course call for Navy Strength, though dark will do instead. Oh how we like a good gunpowder proof rum!
Take a look at our Essential Guide to the Painkiller for more info on it’s origins, secrets and typical tiki intrigue.
Single Serve Ingredients
- 2 oz Navy or Dark Rum
- 1 oz Orange Juice
- 4 oz Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz Cream of Coconut
- Pineapple wedge and nutmeg as a garnish
Serving size = 8 oz / 237 ml (plus ice and water from dilution)
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
1. Base Ingredients
- 24 oz of Navy or Dark Rum
2. Perishable Ingredients
- 12 oz Orange Juice
- 48 oz Pineapple Juice
- 12 oz Cream of Coconut
Total volume = 96 oz / 2.84 Ltr
Pre-mix volume (No Cream of Coconut) = 84 oz / 2.48 Ltr
Instructions
- On the day before your event mix everything together (‘base’ and ‘perishable’ ingredients) in a large container, apart from the Cream of Coconut. Decant this pre-mix into bottles and store in the fridge.
- On the day of your event, trim your pineapple, cut your wedges, cover and place in the fridge.
- Grate your nutmeg into a bowl and carefully fill your dispenser (I make a cone out of a piece of paper and use this as a makeshift funnel).
- About 10 mins before your guests arrive, remove your pineapple wedges from the fridge along with your pre-mix (giving the bottle a little shake in the process).
- When it comes to serving, fill your shaker with crushed ice, add 7 oz of your pre-mix and 1 oz of cream of coconut. Shake vigorously for around 15-20 seconds.
- Pour straight into a Hurricane glass, along with the ice from the shaker (don’t worry about straining, let’s just get these beauties out there).
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a healthy shake of nutmeg.
Trader Vic's original Mai Tai and how to pre-mix it
Don’t get me started on the Mai Tai. I’m not going down the long over laboured road of whether Don invented it or Trader Vic stole it. Not here at least. Here we’re looking at how you make this classic tiki drink at scale. And when we say classic, we mean Vic’s original 1944 version.
If you want to know the full story of this legendary drink, it’s libellous past, the best rums to use and three classic cocktail recipes, take a look at our Ultimate Guide to the Mai Tai.
Single Serve Ingredients
- 1 oz Aged Martinique Rum
- 1 oz Premium Jamaican Rum
- 1/2 oz Orange Curacao
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Orgeat
- 1/4 oz Sugar Syrup
- Mint sprig and a (squeezed) half lime for garnish
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
1. Base Ingredients
- 12 oz Aged Martinique Rum
- 12 oz Premium Jamaican Rum
- 6 oz Orange Curacao
2. Perishable Ingredients
- 12 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3. Small but Potent
- 6 oz Orgeat
- 3 oz Sugar Syrup
Instructions
- Any time in the week leading up to your event, mix your ‘base’ ingredients together in a large container, decant into bottles and store in the fridge.
- Pour your ‘small but potent’ ingredients (your Orgeat and Sugar Syrup) into a small jug, cover and place in the fridge.
- On the day of your event, squeeze your limes as close to party time as you can, bottling the juice and storing in the fridge. And make sure you keep all your squeezed lime halves in the fridge as they will be used as garnish.
- 10 mins before your guests arrive, take out your lime halves, lime juice and pre-mixes, giving the bottles a good shake in the process (or stir if you have the syrups in a jug).
- When it comes to serving, fill your shaker with cubed ice, add 2 1/2 oz of your ‘base’ pre-mix, 3/4 oz of the ‘small but potent’ mix, and 1 oz of fresh lime juice. Shake vigorously for around 15-20 seconds.
- Strain into a Double Old Fashioned over crushed ice.
- Garnish with a sprig of (bruised) mint and drop in one of the lime halves.
A non-alcoholic Mai Tai and how to pre-mix it
For when you’ve a taste for the tiki, but the gods demand a sacrifice – no alcohol – we bring you the Virgin Mai Tai. The combination of fresh lime, orgeat and mint elevates this above your normal fruity punch – just don’t overdo the syrups!
Single Serve Ingredients
- 2 oz Orange Juice
- 1 oz Pineapple Juice
- 1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 oz Orgeat Syrup
- 1/4 oz Sugar Syrup
- Mint sprig and a (squeezed) half lime for garnish
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
2. Perishable Ingredients
- 24 oz Orange Juice
- 12 oz Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
- 6 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3. Small but Potent
- 3 oz Orgeat
- 3 oz Sugar Syrup
Instructions
- On the day before your event, mix your orange and pineapple juice together in a large container, cover and place in the fridge.
- Pour your ‘small but potent’ ingredients (your Orgeat and Sugar Syrup) into a small jug, cover and place in the fridge.
- On the day of your event, squeeze your limes and add their juice to the orange and pineapple mix. Decant into bottles and store in the fridge. And make sure you put all your squeezed lime halves in the fridge as they’ll be used as garnish.
- 10 mins before your guests arrive, take out your lime halves and both pre-mixes, giving the bottles a good shake in the process (or stir if you have the syrups in a jug).
- When it comes to serving, fill your shaker with cubed ice, add 3 1/2 oz of your ‘perishable’ pre-mix and 1/2 oz of your ‘small but potent’ mix. Shake vigorously for around 15-20 seconds.
- Strain into a Double Old Fashioned over crushed ice.
- Garnish with a sprig of (bruised) mint and drop in one of the lime halves.
PITCHERS
Pitchers are perfect for when you need to be as hands-free as possible. Giving you the option to simply pour drinks for your guests, or as the night progresses letting them help themselves. You could even put together drink stations for them to build their own.
The best drinks to choose from are those that have been designed to be built in the glass (like Harry Yee’s original Blue Hawaii) and can be stirred or swizzled. Staying away from anything that requires shaking to mix it, eg. cream of coconut.
Outside of mixing perishable ingredients together too far ahead of time (which is always something to be careful of), pitchers are one of those batch styles that have a high potential for being too sweet or overpowered by strong ingredients – so take note of the ‘small but potent’ amounts, always add them at the end and make sure you taste test.
A pitcher recipe for Harry Yee's original Blue Hawaii
Created in 1957 by Harry Yee, the head bartender at the Hawaiian village hotel on Waikiki Beach, Honolulu. Not strictly a ‘blue’ drink, this turquoise wonder was made to match the beautiful colour of the Pacific Ocean seen beyond his bar. Purposely designed to be served in a high volume environment, it’s a drink that can be made at speed – and one that can be made even faster by serving in pitchers! For more info on this classic cocktail head on over to our essential guide and find out the difference between the Blue Hawaiian vs. the Blue Hawaii.
Single Serve Ingredients
- 3/4 oz Vodka
- 3/4 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum
- 1/2 oz Blue Bols Curacao
- 3 oz Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz Sweet and Sour mix
- For the garnish you’ll need a fresh pineapple wedge, 2 maraschino cherries and one flower (ideally an orchid)
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
1. Base Ingredients
- 9 oz Vodka
- 9 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum
- 6 oz Blue Bols Curacao
2. Perishable Ingredients
- 36 oz Pineapple Juice
3. Small but Potent
- 6 – 12 oz Sweet and Sour mix
Instructions
- On the day before the event combine your ‘base’ and ‘perishable’ ingredients.
- Then stir in half your sweet and sour mix, taste test and adjust upwards until you have the right balance (don’t go above the max amount shown). Cover your container / pitchers and store in the fridge overnight.
- On the day of your event, trim your pineapple, cut your wedges, cover and place in the fridge.
- Just before your guests arrive setup your serving station with your garnish ingredients, your ice bucket, tongs, pitchers and glasses. This station can either be for yourself or for your guests to help themselves.
- Drop a handful of cubed ice into each pitcher and give it a good stir.
- Pour each drink (unstrained) into a Hurricane Glass over cubed ice.
- Garnish with two maraschino cherries skewered together with the pineapple wedge and a delicately placed flower.
Suffering Bastards by the pitcher
Single Serve Ingredients
- 1 oz Dry Gin
- 1 oz Brandy
- 1/2 oz Rose’s Lime Juice Cordial (Fresh lime will always taste better, but we’ll give you a pass on this one if you’re a bit pushed for time, as cordial was used in the original recipe).
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 4 oz Chilled Ginger Beer
- An orange slice and mint sprig for garnish, plus a swizzle stick
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
1. Base Ingredients
- 12 oz Dry Gin
- 12 oz Brandy
3. Small but Potent
- 3 – 6 oz Rose’s Lime Juice Cordial
- 12 – 24 dashes Angostura Bitters (0.375 oz – 0.75 oz)
3. Small but Potent
- 48 oz Chilled Ginger Beer
Instructions
- Any time in the week before the event combine your ‘base’ ingredients.
- Then stir in half your ‘small but potent’ ingredients, taste test and adjust upwards until you have the right balance (don’t go above the max amount shown). Cover your container / pitchers and store in the fridge until the big day.
- On the day of your event, slice your orange, cover and place in the fridge.
- Just before your guests arrive setup your serving station with your garnish ingredients, your ice bucket, tongs, pitchers, glasses and importantly your ginger beer and swizzle sticks. This station can either be for yourself or for your guests to help themselves.
- Drop a handful of cubed ice into each pitcher and give it a good stir.
- Pour each drink (unstrained) into a Double Old Fashioned glass over cubed ice.
- Top up with ginger beer and stir.
- Garnish with an orange slice and a sprig of mint.
PUNCHES
Punches are my favourite. They’re a far more communal affair, always wonderfully retro and by far the easiest option. Remember, they’ve been designed to be mixed at scale, have flavour profile’s hardy enough to tolerate slight deviances, and they actually come into their own as the ice melts and the drink starts to dilute.
As always just remember to not mix the perishable ingredients too far ahead of the big day. And yes, you could easily use a punch recipe for a pitcher.
Planters Punch 'Improved' by Jeff Berry
With an origin story dating back hundreds of years, ranging from the shores of Jamaica to the coasts of Great Britain, punch is a drink steeped in heritage and local tradition. Recipes vary based on what island or plantation they’re from, the availability of local ingredients, and what items were imported from the parent empire. It’s a drink that comes in many shapes and sizes.
This refreshing variation is Jeff Berry’s ‘Improved’ version. A re-mix of a ’20’s recipe (by Fred Myers) heavily influenced by the recommendation of A.R Wooley (from Lemon Hart Rum) to revive the use of teas within punches.
Single Serve Ingredients
- 2 oz Jamaican Rum (Myers)
- 1 1/2 oz Black Tea, chilled
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 3/4 oz Sugar Syrup
- Use whatever you want for the garnish – a sprinkle of nutmeg is a punch classic, but torn or bruised mint sets the slightly earthy tones of the tea off nicely.
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
1. Base Ingredients
- 24 oz Jamaican Rum (Myers)
2. Perishable Ingredients
- 18 oz Black Tea, chilled
- 12 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3. Small but Potent
- 4 1/2 oz – 9 oz Sugar Syrup
Instructions
- There’s only one base ingredient so keep it in it’s bottle till you’re ready to use
- You can make your black tea and store it in the fridge up to 3 days before your event – just bear in mind it will start to taste bitter after that.
- We recommend using 1 tea bag for every 8 ounces of water.
- To make brewing quicker, only boil half your water, pour it over your tea bags, steep for 5 mins, then add the rest of your water (removing your tea bags of course!).
- No later than the day before your event, make sure you have a big ‘ol block of ice ready in your freezer. You can use normal ice cubes but they melt fast in a large bowl.
- On the day of your event, squeeze your limes as close to party time as you can manage.
- Prepare whatever garnishes you need and store in the fridge.
- Combine the rum with your perishable ingredients (lime juice and black tea) directly in your punch bowl.
- Add the sugar syrup and mix thoroughly. Start with the lowest end of the range shown, taste test and add more if needed. Rinse and repeat until you reach the perfect level of sweetness. You should by no means go over the top end of the range. Unless you and your guests are related to Winnie the Pooh of course.
- Place your ice block into the bowl along with a good handful of your garnish.
- Now setup your serving station with tall glasses, a ladle, ice bucket, tongs and whatever garnish you’re using.
Cinerama Luau Punch
Single Serve Ingredients
- 3 1/6 oz Gold Jamaican Rum
- 1/6 oz (1 tsp) Orange Curacao
- 1 oz White Wine
- 2/3 oz Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
- 2/3 oz Orange Juice
- 2/3 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2/3 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- Use whatever you want for the garnish – pineapple fronds look great as do dried lime wheels or fresh orange slices.
Serving size = 7 oz / 207 ml (plus ice and water from dilution)
Note: as this drink was originally created as a punch and made for large scale ingredients (hence the reference to ‘bottles’ of rum and wine) the single serve numbers become a little fiddly, so don’t worry too much if you find yourself rounding down on 1/6 oz of rum, but do make sure you include the orange curaçao as it acts as a sweetener.
Example Batch Calculations
8 x Guests at 1.5 Servings each = 12 Total Servings
1. Base Ingredients
- 38 oz Gold Jamaican Rum (1 1/2 Bottles)
- 2 oz Orange Curacao
2. Perishable Ingredients
- 13 oz White Wine (1/2 Bottle) – Normally alcohol is a base ingredient, however wine starts to deteriorate as soon as it’s opened
- 8 oz Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
- 8 oz Orange Juice
- 8 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 8 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Instructions
- No later than the day before your event, make sure you have a big block of ice ready in your freezer. You can use normal ice cubes but they melt fast in a large bowl.
- As this is such as a simple drink to make, I’d recommend mixing it on the day, directly into the punch bowl. Start with your base ingredients, then add your perishables. Squeezing your fresh lemon and lime juice last (the closer to party time the better for these two).
- Prepare your garnishes and store in the fridge until you need them.
- Place your ice block into the bowl with the punch and add in a good handful of your orange slices, lime wheels (whatever you’re using).
- Now setup your serving station with tall glasses, a ladle, ice bucket, tongs and of course your garnish.
To finish with I’ve put together a number of pro-tips that’ll help raise the bar on your tiki party game.
9 x SMOKING HOT TIKI TIPS
1. Ounces in a bottle
When buying in drinks for your party, bear in mind that there are about 25 ounces in a standard 750ml bottle of alcohol. Which means you’ll get around 16 drinks per bottle if you’re using 1.5 oz of spirit per drink, or about 12 if they require 2 oz each.
2. Save your bottles
If you’re pre-mixing any of your drinks, make sure you have enough bottles by saving all your empties for a month or so before the party, sterilise them (the dishwasher is perfect for this) and then add pour spouts on the day. We give the total volume for each of the cocktail examples we’ve used so you can easily work out how many bottles you’d need.
3. Lime juice
A rule of thumb for squeezing limes is that you’ll get roughly 1 fl oz from each lime. You may get more but it’s better to err on the lower end of the scale when buying in bulk.
4. Muddling
If you have any recipes that require muddling or shaking with fresh ingredients, simply mix them with your simple syrup before hand, let them sit for half hour and strain them out. Now you’ve a freshly infused syrup that you can use at scale.
5. Buy yourself time
If you’re the kind of host that loves to spend more time mingling than serving drinks (and who doesn’t!), setup up a self serve station with cups, ice, and garnishes and let your guests build their own.
If you feel like you’re not giving them enough tiki love you can always pour the first drink for them and spend a bit more time on the garnish and presentation.
6. Drinks too sickly?
If you find your drinks are either too strong or too sickly, balance them out with a little fizz. And if you’ve used too much coconut milk and it tastes a bit too heavy, thin it out with some ice.
7. Use the right size ice
Using a punch bowl? Use a big block of ice rather than normal ice cubes. That way it’ll melt at just the right speed to dilute it without making it too watery.
No idea where to get a big block of ice from? Simply fill a square plastic container or tray with water and freeze overnight. (Though I’d give it a couple of days just in case).
8. Pineapple ice!
Does your drink call for a pineapple garnish? Chop it into cubes, put them in food bags and freeze. That way they double up as ice cubes!
9. Reality check
Lastly, just remember, you’ll put a lot of time and effort into getting your drinks right, but when dealing with a larger crowd, the majority of people really won’t notice all the subtleties and nuances. The key is in making sure your drinks are well balanced. And when it comes to using expensive ingredients, spend your money wisely and focus on a choice selection of only the most distinctive and flavoursome.
We put a whole lotta love, lime and rum into our work, so if you think your friends would find this article useful, we’d be thrilled if you could share it with them!
Thank you. Mahalo.
