What Exactly Are Freezer Door Cocktails?

Say hello to your next party hosting hack. Freezer door cocktails are an easy way to serve a signature drink to a larger group of people without having to mix one up on the spot every time someone wants one. Essentially, freezer door cocktails are pre-batched cocktails, often made in and stored in a liquor bottle, that make it easy for guests to serve themselves. Typically, a freezer door cocktail will make around six to eight servings and can be made and stashed in your freezer or your refrigerator for hours before you need to serve them. 

Almost any cocktail can easily become a freezer-door drink. You just need to make sure you use a high-proof alcohol as the base and don't add too many mixers or watery ingredients. This is because you run the risk of your cocktail freezing before serving. As a rule of thumb, alcohol freezes at negative 16 degrees Fahrenheit, but other watery liquids will freeze at zero degrees Fahrenheit. 

You can avoid this problem by sticking with higher-proof liquids, limiting your mixers, and not storing your freezer door cocktails in your freezer for too long before serving. It's recommended to give the bottle a good stir or shake before each pour to help the ingredients remain mixed. You should also dilute your mixture some. Traditionally, when you make a cocktail with ice, the ice will melt and give this effect. You can replicate this by adding a small amount of water to your cocktail.

There are a wide variety of cocktails that work excellently as freezer door cocktails, but leaning toward simpler recipes with fewer ingredients works best. Some easy cocktails that translate to freezer door cocktails exceptionally well are the Old Fashioned and classic Negroni. The reason these two are ideal candidates is that they both feature a liquor-forward recipe without too many mixers. They also use higher-proof liquors such as whiskey and gin that hold up well to being in a freezer for an extended period.

But you don't have to stick with traditional cocktails for your freezer door offerings. If you're looking for more modern options, you can easily create a freezer door espresso martini. Just substitute fresh espresso for instant espresso powder or add the fresh espresso when serving to avoid your drinks potentially freezing. One of the best cocktails to try out this method with is martinis since they are almost entirely made of liquors. You can even set up martini garnishes on the side so your guests can customize them as they please.