How to: Make DIY Bottled Carbonated Cocktails

Chris in Food & Drink

11/7/11

[updated: 5/10/20]

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Some evenings are the sort of evenings for mixing cocktails. Grab your shaker, fill with ice, and make a big deal out of the whole thing. But then there are the other nights where you just wanna grab something out of the fridge, and have it ready to go.

And unless you’re okay with Mike’s Hard Whatever nastiness or a sacchrine pink wine cooler, your go-to beverage is likely a beer. Unless of course, you’ve whipped up some bottled cocktails, and stocked your fridge for occassions such as these. Mixologist and bar master Jeffrey Morganthaler sought to find a way to make sparkling, bottled cocktails that are actual worth drinking. His thoughts:

They are, essentially, spirit-driven, so there is no need to worry about spoilage.
The entire drink is carbonated, providing a more complete experience than simply adding a sparkling finish as one would do when building these drinks à la minute.
And the whole bottle is pre-chilled, eliminating the need for ice and maintaining perfect dilution from beginning to end.

You need a bit of gear – such as an inexpensive bottle capper ($12 – get one now!) – but once you’ve got the technique down, you can run wild with the concept. Perfect for all those upcoming holiday festivities!