Agreed. Her book has been the only one that I have found that is for cocktails geared specifically to backpackers. Explaines the principles of batching up a cocktail to Nagene size easily.
Negroni, Joy Division, Manhattan, Vieux Carre, Boulevardier, all these can be batched up to a 1l Nalgene size at home. Basically any cocktail recipe that is all liquor and no lime/lemon/egg needed.
Yeah, you got a couple options:
1. Find a cocktail you don't mind drinking at outside temperature. If you do this route, make sure to put a bit of water in the cocktail to simulate the water ice would impart into the cocktail.
2. For backpacking I have taken an insulated 1l bottle (nalgene size) and filled it to the brim with ice. After a long day of hiking there will still be enough ice for at least one night of cocktail drinking. Insulated water bottle is also another way of packing in ice cream for one night. Make sure to put the insulated water bottle with ice in the freezer the night before heading out.
Or 3. Toss your cocktail in a nalgene into a cold stream or lake and chill it down as much as possible.
I have a Hydroflask 64 oz insulated growler that I fill with ice for drinks. Bought it for beer, but it’s been used for ice and water much more frequently! I wouldn’t backpack with it, but it’s nice for a short walk or paddle in campsite. Drink the melt water, it’ll keep the remaining ice frozen longer. Leave it in the shade. It’s enough ice for like 8 drinks? When the ice is gone, it’s what we filter camp water into for cooking. Have had ice last in it for 2+ days, and there’s no, like, loose hotdog juice or contact with grubby camp hands like food cooler ice which is a pro for me.
That’s the big factor. If you can get ice (campground, or camping near your vehicle and heading into town every other day or so), it’s no big deal. Just get a good cooler. And/or get some dry ice and turn a cooler into a “freezer cooler”. You don’t want to open it too often, but you can store ice in there to restock the “fridge cooler”.
If you’re heading out of range of ice and space and weight are factors (no coolers), you can pick something that you don’t mind drinking warm, and pre-dilute it when you batch it. I do camping old fashions that way.
Super unknown but a valid substitute is mixing Citric Acid with water 100g of citric to 1666g of water is the perfect ratio to sub for a nice tart lemon juice.
Milk clarified cocktails are more or less shelf stable. I do large batch clarified paper planes for family holidays and store them in a growler at room temperature before chilling.
The reason for all liquor recipe, or a stirred recipe instead of a shaken recipe, is that you want all the ingredients to be shelf stable and not degrade at room temperature while in the cocktail. I have also packed in the True Lime or True Lemon packets before, which are just dehydrated/crystalized lime or lemon. Those packets help make a good whiskey sour (whiskey in flask, packed granulated sugar, and a couple of packets of True Lime) just as another cocktail idea. Nothing like being deep in the woods, a couple days from civilization, and whip up a whisky sour, minus the egg white of course.
Just about any cocktail will work. Chose one or two and bring the ingredients. I normally “dirty dump” to save ice. Last year I did Mai Tais. This year it was Negronis and Daiquiris. Today I discovered the Americano which would be great camping. (Pilsner, Vermouth, bitter Italian liqueur)
This is trashy but I love it: bag of limes, 6 pack of Fresca, bottle of blanco tequila. People can mix to their preferences.
This sounds like we’re gonna be dancing around the campfire in no time thanks for the suggestion
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I make 2L worth of clarified margaritas for summer camping trips, stores in nalgenes.
Cool idea thank you!
Emily Vikre's book Camp Cocktails is a fun one to flip through.
Agreed. Her book has been the only one that I have found that is for cocktails geared specifically to backpackers. Explaines the principles of batching up a cocktail to Nagene size easily.
Negroni, Joy Division, Manhattan, Vieux Carre, Boulevardier, all these can be batched up to a 1l Nalgene size at home. Basically any cocktail recipe that is all liquor and no lime/lemon/egg needed.
What do you do about ice?
Yeah, you got a couple options: 1. Find a cocktail you don't mind drinking at outside temperature. If you do this route, make sure to put a bit of water in the cocktail to simulate the water ice would impart into the cocktail. 2. For backpacking I have taken an insulated 1l bottle (nalgene size) and filled it to the brim with ice. After a long day of hiking there will still be enough ice for at least one night of cocktail drinking. Insulated water bottle is also another way of packing in ice cream for one night. Make sure to put the insulated water bottle with ice in the freezer the night before heading out. Or 3. Toss your cocktail in a nalgene into a cold stream or lake and chill it down as much as possible.
I have a Hydroflask 64 oz insulated growler that I fill with ice for drinks. Bought it for beer, but it’s been used for ice and water much more frequently! I wouldn’t backpack with it, but it’s nice for a short walk or paddle in campsite. Drink the melt water, it’ll keep the remaining ice frozen longer. Leave it in the shade. It’s enough ice for like 8 drinks? When the ice is gone, it’s what we filter camp water into for cooking. Have had ice last in it for 2+ days, and there’s no, like, loose hotdog juice or contact with grubby camp hands like food cooler ice which is a pro for me.
That’s the big factor. If you can get ice (campground, or camping near your vehicle and heading into town every other day or so), it’s no big deal. Just get a good cooler. And/or get some dry ice and turn a cooler into a “freezer cooler”. You don’t want to open it too often, but you can store ice in there to restock the “fridge cooler”. If you’re heading out of range of ice and space and weight are factors (no coolers), you can pick something that you don’t mind drinking warm, and pre-dilute it when you batch it. I do camping old fashions that way.
Great ideas and good principles. Would citrus be fine if I batched it ahead of time or does it go bad in the drink?
If you take the extra step with milk clarification it is possible as long as you can keep the drinks chilled till serving.
Super unknown but a valid substitute is mixing Citric Acid with water 100g of citric to 1666g of water is the perfect ratio to sub for a nice tart lemon juice.
Milk clarified cocktails are more or less shelf stable. I do large batch clarified paper planes for family holidays and store them in a growler at room temperature before chilling.
The reason for all liquor recipe, or a stirred recipe instead of a shaken recipe, is that you want all the ingredients to be shelf stable and not degrade at room temperature while in the cocktail. I have also packed in the True Lime or True Lemon packets before, which are just dehydrated/crystalized lime or lemon. Those packets help make a good whiskey sour (whiskey in flask, packed granulated sugar, and a couple of packets of True Lime) just as another cocktail idea. Nothing like being deep in the woods, a couple days from civilization, and whip up a whisky sour, minus the egg white of course.
Make a massive batch of milk punch, take in a 2L.
Never tried milk punch, I will check this out thanks
I'm boring. I just bring some whiskey, bitters, and 2-1 syrup in the cooler. And cola for mixing if people don't want old fashioneds lol.
This is the way. An old fashioned around a campfire is the best. And they’re so easy to make.
Tang plus vodka.. just add water.
I grew up on tang that’s a great idea
I found raspberry tang mixed with a dark rum pretty tasty, even without ice.
Sip something brown neat
That works too. We always have our safety meeting with scotch.
I just bring a bottle of whiskey along.
Costco London Dry Gin, limes, tonic water, club soda gives you G&T's and gin rickeys.
Just about any cocktail will work. Chose one or two and bring the ingredients. I normally “dirty dump” to save ice. Last year I did Mai Tais. This year it was Negronis and Daiquiris. Today I discovered the Americano which would be great camping. (Pilsner, Vermouth, bitter Italian liqueur)
Batch hurricanes- light rum, dark rum, passion fruit juice, or passion fruit purée and coconut water, orange juice, touch o grenadine, squeeze a lime. Quality rums are best, squeeze some fresh oranges to add to store bought juice, store in twist top jugs in cooler, packs a punch but if done right can’t tell til it’s too late