Just Batch It

Superstar mixologists Nick Kennedy and Élise Hanson share their laid-back approach to hosting.

Spending the night stirring and shaking at your home cocktail party is so 2015. Take a tip from the pros, who are going all in on batched drinks — a game-changing strategy that can make hosting impressive cocktail parties a cinch.

“Pre-batching is how we do everything here,” says Nick Kennedy, gesturing at the 25-foot bar at Civil Works, launched in August in Toronto. “That’s how great bartending happens in reality.” Civil Works represents a big departure from Kennedy’s first bar, Civil Liberties, the scrappy menu-free bar that specializes in à la minute bespoke cocktails. At Civil Works, customers can consult a 12-page menu of ready-to-pour house cocktails. “It’s not just about making things easy and speeding up service,” says bar manager Élise Hanson. “Batched drinks are more consistent, because you’re under less pressure before the doors open.”

According to Hanson and Kennedy, more “civilians” should get into pre-batching, one of the many benefits of which is that you, the host, can actually enjoy the party.

Party Essentials

Snacks / Kennedy has a “snack tower” at home stocked with things like chaat chips, wasabi peas and chicharrónes — anything with that perfect balance of crunch, salt and heat. Says Hanson: “I’m a sucker for a beautiful charcuterie board stacked with little fatty and salty things like jamón and some sheep’s milk cheese, like Manchego — and plenty of tinned fish.”

The other drinks / It’s easy to forget to hydrate. Set up a water station with mineral and still, ice and glassware. The living room is a good location to reduce traffic in the kitchen. Have a selection of beers and wines (including bubbles) — not everyone likes to cocktail all night long.

Set the tone / “It’s shocking how many people’s homes I’ve gone to for dinner and there’s no music,” says Hanson. Silence, she notes, causes social anxiety for some. The right playlist can help people break the ice. Kennedy likes to start the night with an upbeat and familiar album like Paul Simon’s Graceland and then move into something more “ruckus.” Hold on the “bangers” and anthems to the end, he says. “You don’t open with Céline. You close with Céline, so people are holding each other and screaming, ‘My heart will go on.’”

Lighting / Hosts often forget to dim the lights, says Kennedy: “Turn the lights down more than you think you should. Treat your house like all the bars you love best.”

Glassware / The pros advise renting glassware — it saves washing up between rounds.

Ice / “People are shocked at how much ice you need,” says Hanson. “Every time I go home for the holidays, my family wants me to make cocktails for them. They have one tray of ice, which is enough for, like, two cocktails.” Knowing that his recommendation — 12 pounds of ice per guest — sounds absurdly over the top, Kennedy says that’s the rule for catering. His advice includes proper ice for prepping batches of drinks. Fancy ice is more expensive, obviously, but it’s worth splashing out on. “If you’re going to do a ton of prep to kill this party, not having really great ice is silly,” he says. “There are fancy ice companies in most Canadian cities. If you really want friends taking photos of your drinks, that’s the way to do it.”

A Few Notes on Batching

Basic Gear

Party Prep List

The Cocktails

– Christine Sismondo