The reason most party cocktails go wrong isn't the recipe — it's that the host ends up shaking one drink at a time while 19 people wait. The fix is to batch: mix the whole lot in advance, chill it, and pour. Here's how we do it for events, scaled down to a kitchen.
The only numbers you need
Every Let's Mix cocktail is 75ml mix + 50ml spirit. A 750ml bottle of mix is exactly 10 serves; a standard 70cl bottle of spirit is 14 serves. So:
| Guests | Cocktails (2 each) | Bottles of mix | Bottles of spirit (70cl) | Ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20 | 2 | 1–2 | 4kg |
| 20 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 8kg |
| 40 | 80 | 8 | 6 | 15kg |
Two cocktails per guest is the right planning number for a party where there's also wine and beer around. If cocktails are the drink (hen do, birthday), plan three each and add one bottle of mix per ten guests.
Pick two flavours, not five
A menu of two cocktails feels generous and is easy to run. Our most-requested pairing is one vodka drink and one tequila drink: Pornstar Martini and Margarita. For a summer garden party, Strawberry Daiquiri and Garden Martini (gin). For a crowd that likes a kick, swap in the Chilli Margarita.
The Mix & Match Trio lets you pick three bottles for £30 with free delivery — for 20 guests, two Trios covers it with a bottle spare for the after-party.
Best for partiesMix & Match Trio — any 3 bottles, free UK delivery£30 · 30 cocktailsBuild your trio →
How to pre-batch without dilution
The golden rule: batch the liquid, never the ice. Ice goes in at the moment of serving.
- The night before: combine mix and spirit in the 75:50 ratio in a clean bottle or jug. For one bottle of mix, that's 750ml mix + 500ml spirit = 1.25 litres, ten drinks. Seal and refrigerate.
- Two hours before: move the batch to the coldest part of the fridge or into a cool box with ice packs. Chill your glasses if you can.
- To serve, shaken drinks: pour 125ml of batch into a shaker with ice, shake, strain. Two at a time in a big shaker. This gives you the proper foam on a Pornstar Martini.
- To serve, built drinks: fill glasses with ice, pour 125ml batch over. Margaritas and Chilli Margaritas are perfect this way — no shaking required.
If you'd rather not shake at all, a Pornstar Martini from a jug still tastes right — you just lose some of the head. Stir the jug hard with a long spoon for 20 seconds before pouring and you'll get most of it back.
The self-serve station
For 20+ guests, set up a station and let people help themselves:
- Two dispensers or big jugs, each labelled with the cocktail name and what's in it
- A large bucket of ice with a scoop (not hands)
- Glasses — one per guest plus 30% spare
- A bowl of dehydrated garnishes per drink: lime wheels for Margaritas, pineapple for Pornstar Martinis
- A jug of water and the mocktail batch (see below)
A card that reads "Fill glass with ice, pour to the top, add a garnish" is all the instruction anyone needs.
Don't forget the drivers
Batch a mocktail version at the same time: 750ml mix + 500ml chilled water or soda. The Pornstar Martini and Garden Martini both work brilliantly alcohol-free, and nobody feels left out holding a glass that looks identical.
Timeline for the host
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Day before | Batch cocktails and mocktail into bottles, refrigerate. Freeze glasses if space. |
| Morning of | Buy ice (double). Set out glasses, garnishes, station signs. |
| 1 hour before | Ice bucket out. Batches into jugs on the station. Test one — adjust nothing, just enjoy it. |
| During | Top up ice and garnish every 45 minutes. That's your whole job. |
What it costs
For 20 guests and 40 cocktails: four bottles of mix (£45 as two Trios, or £41.25 as a Trio plus a bottle) plus three bottles of spirit at around £20 each. Call it £105, or £2.60 a cocktail. A round of 40 cocktails in a bar would be £360 or more.
Bigger than a house party?
For weddings, festivals and corporate events across the South West, our mobile bars bring the team, the ice and the frozen cocktail machines. If you run a venue, our trade team can help you put cocktails on the menu at the speed of pints.
For the shaken servesThe Mixer Mini Shaker£6.25Shop now →