The Batch Cocktail Mistake Bartenders Say Ruins Drinks

Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or prepping drinks for a weekend gathering, batch cocktails seem like the perfect entertaining solution. But according to bartenders and cocktail experts, there’s one critical mistake home bartenders make that ruins the entire batch: failing to account for ice dilution. But you can easily fix this problem for less than $15 with the right tools from your freezer.

This is where a large ice cube tray becomes essential. “Dilution is where many batches go sideways,” says Leif Huckman, Spirits Lead for Juice Runners by Run The Jewels. “Roughly 40% of a well-balanced cocktail is water.” We recommend picking up one of these Excnorm Large Ice Cube Trays that create 2-inch cubes that melt slowly, providing controlled dilution without watering down your carefully batched creation. We love how the food-grade silicone design of this tray, in particular, makes it easy to pop out perfectly formed cubes into a large pitcher. 

Excnorm Silicone Ice Cube Trays, 3-Pack

To achieve balance when making drinks at scale, Huckman recommends planning for dilution in two stages: “Pre-dilute your batch with about 20% water (or a non-alcoholic mixer like soda or ginger ale, depending on the recipe). Then rely on another approximate 20% dilution from ice — either a large ice block for a punch bowl or standard cubes for single-serve pours.”

That’s why large silicone ice molds, like the Excnorm trays, are “perfect for spirit-forward single serves or for a slow-melting block in your punch bowl,” says Huckman. He also suggests a pro-level visual upgrade by adding “berries, citrus slices, or herbs to the molds” to elevate the presentation.

Christa Csoka, Chef and Owner of bar and restaurant Artisan’s Palate in Charlotte, North Carolina, takes a different approach, but agrees that ice is critical. “We definitely agree about the ice. You add ice to a pitcher or carafe, and it will dilute the cocktail; therefore, when I batch at home, we keep the ice separate,” she explains. She recommends setting up an interactive cocktail station “with the batched cocktail in a pitcher and the ice in an ice bucket for your guests to make the cocktail themselves.” 

For the home bar, she recommends getting large silicone ice cube trays similar to the Excnorm trays “and having them on hand in the freezer for when you are entertaining,” says Csoka. “Also, make sure to have nice, larger pitchers for batching.” These trays come in a set of two with lids to prevent freezer odors from affecting the ice and allow for easy stacking. With over 5,000 4.5-star ratings on Amazon, shoppers praise the trays for their durability and easy cube release. At under $15, they’re an affordable upgrade that ensures your batch cocktails taste as balanced as what you’d order at a bar.

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At the time of publishing, the price was $13.