How to Make Martinis in Bulk

Co-authored by Tom Blake and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Cocktails are fun, but cocktails for a crowd can be a lot of work! Fortunately, you can make a batch of martinis ahead of time. Just chill the martinis in a large bottle or pitcher and let your guests serve themselves. Make classic gin martinis that people can garnish as they like or serve sweet Boston cream martinis made with vodka and chocolate liqueur. You can also make the popular bee's knees martini, which is naturally tart and sweetened with honey and lemon juice.

Ingredients

Classic Gin Martinis

2 ¹⁄₂ cups (590 mL) of gin
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of dry vermouth
³⁄₄ cup (180 mL) of bottled or filtered water
Garnishes: lemon twists, olives, cocktail onions

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Boston Cream Martinis

2 ¹⁄₂ cups (590 mL) of Irish cream liqueur
¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of vodka
²⁄₃ cup (160 mL) of chocolate liqueur
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of water
Garnishes: chocolate drizzle, chocolate shavings

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Bee's Knees Martinis

2 ¹⁄₂ cups (590 mL) of gin
1 cup (240 mL) of lemon juice
1 cup (240 mL) of honey
1 cup (240 mL) of water for the simple syrup
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of water
Honeycomb for garnish

Makes 10 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Pitcher of Classic Gin Martinis

1
Get out your storage pitcher or bottle. Since you'll be making enough martinis to serve 8-10 drinks, you'll need a large serving pitcher or a bottle that has a swing-top. If you're using a bottle, use one that can hold at least 4 ¹⁄₂ cups (1,100 mL) of liquid.^{[1]
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- Try to use a pitcher that has a lid if you'll be refrigerating the martinis for a while.
2
Measure the ingredients into the pitcher. Pour all of your ingredients into your storage pitcher. If you're using a bottle, set a funnel over the opening to prevent spills. You'll need to pour in:^{[2]
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- 2 ¹⁄₂ cups (590 mL) of gin
- ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of dry vermouth
- ³⁄₄ cup (180 mL) of bottled or filtered water
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3
Stir the mixture and chill it for several hours. Use a long-handled spoon to mix the ingredients together. Close the lid on the pitcher or the swing-top on the bottle. Place the container in the refrigerator and chill the martinis for several hours so they become completely cold.^{[3]
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- You can refrigerate the classic martinis for up to a few days before serving them.
4
Serve the classic gin martinis. When you're ready to serve the drinks, just pour them into martini glasses and garnish them with your choice of lemon twists, olives, or cocktail onions.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Pitcher of Boston Cream Martinis

1
Select a storage pitcher or bottle. Choose a large serving pitcher or a bottle that has a swing-top. If you're using a bottle, use one that can hold 4 ¹⁄₂ cups (1,100 mL). Remember that the container will need to hold 8-10 drinks.^{[5]
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- Ensure that the pitcher has a lid since you'll be storing the martini mixture for a while.
2
Pour the ingredients into the pitcher. Measure all of your ingredients into your storage pitcher or bottle. If you're using a bottle, put a funnel over the opening to prevent spills. You'll need to pour in:^{[6]
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- 2 ¹⁄₂ cups (590 mL) of Irish cream liqueur
- ¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of vodka
- ²⁄₃ cup (160 mL) of chocolate liqueur
- ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of water
3
Refrigerate the martinis for a few hours after mixing up the liquids. Stir or shake the mixture to combine all of the ingredients. Close the lid on the pitcher or the swing-top on the bottle. Put the container in the refrigerator and chill the martinis for several hours. The flavors will combine and the drinks will become completely cold.^{[7]
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- You can refrigerate the Boston cream martinis for up to a day before serving them.
4
Garnish and serve the Boston cream martinis. Remove the martini mixture from the refrigerator and pour it into martini glasses. Sprinkle the tops with chocolate shavings or consider drizzling the rim of the glasses with chocolate syrup.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Pitcher of Bee's Knees Martinis

1
Make a honey simple syrup. Measure 1 cup (240 mL) of honey into a small saucepan and stir in 1 cup (240 mL) of water. Turn the heat on to medium-high and stir the syrup as it cooks. Keep heating the syrup until it comes to a boil and the honey dissolves. Turn off the heat and refrigerate the honey syrup until it's completely cold. This should take a few hours.^{[9]
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- Since you won't need all of the honey simple syrup for the martini recipe, you can refrigerate the leftover syrup in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
2
Get out your storage pitcher or bottle. Find a large serving pitcher or a bottle that will fit 10 drinks. If you're using a bottle, choose one that's at least 4 ¹⁄₂ cups (1,100 mL) in size and has a swing-top.^{[10]
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- The pitcher should have a lid so you can store the martinis for a while.
3
Pour the ingredients into the container. Measure all of your martini ingredients into the storage pitcher or bottle. If you're using a bottle, set a funnel over the opening to keep the cocktails from spilling. You'll need to measure in:^{[11]
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- 2 ¹⁄₂ cups (590 mL) of gin
- 1 cup (240 mL) of honey simple syrup
- 1 cup (240 mL) of lemon juice
- ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of water
4
Chill the martinis for a couple of hours. Stir the mixture with a long-handled spoon, then seal the pitcher or bottle of martini mixture and put the container in the refrigerator. Chill the martini mixture for a few hours or until it's really cold.^{[12]
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- Avoid making the bee's knees martinis too far in advance since the juice will go bad. Store the prepared cocktails the same day you make them.
5
Serve the bee's knees martinis. To serve the martinis, pour them into martini glasses and garnish each with a small piece of honeycomb.^{[13]
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- Since the cocktails are already cold and contain water, you don't need to shake the martinis with ice.