cover image Batched and Bottled: Cocktails to Make Ahead

Batched and Bottled: Cocktails to Make Ahead

Max and Noel Venning. Quadrille, $24.99 (192p) ISBN 978-1-787131-55-2

In this inventive debut collection, the Venning brothers, proprietors of the Three Sheets bar in London, provide 50 recipes for cocktails that can be made ahead of time, then served up quickly in large batches for parties or dosed out in individual servings (each recipe includes instructions for both individual serving and for bottling and storing). They proceed seasonally, offering spring and summer gin and vodka variations full of fruit, then focus on dark liquors and grains for autumn and winter. There are multiple methods for adding fizz: a rhubarb and grape concoction pulls together a fermented rhubarb cordial and pisco, then is topped off with soda water; a martini is batched in a whipped cream dispenser powered by nitrogen dioxide. The speed at which these drinks can be poured is often in reverse proportion to the time needed for their advance preparation. The many fermented potables take several days to reach their flavor peaks while a milk punch requires half an hour of supervised low heat simmering on the stovetop, then two hours of chilling in the fridge. Dairy also plays an intriguing role in the shiso miso, which mixes mint with “fat-washed whisky” (whisky mixed with melted butter then frozen overnight). A year’s worth of fun experimentation awaits, especially for those willing to trade long prep times for the convenience of ready-made craft cocktails. (Aug.)