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part 1 2 3 4 5 calculator recipes
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One ounce is the basic building block of a cocktail recipe. I always thought that a shot glass held one ounce, but almost all of them hold more, probably because an ounce is such a teeny amount of liquid. Note the empty space on the top and bottom of this ounce. Flat-bottomed shotglasses, even little ones, often hold two ounces. |
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For this project, and the cocktail calculator which follows, I scouted prices in many locations, from Costco and Safeway to liquor stores and BevMo.
Mixing your own, choosing top shelf liquors is about twice as expensive, but almost always below $1 per ounce.
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Juice is a popular ingredient for cocktails. I was surprised to find so many different juices in common recipes. Cranberry Juice - 9¢/oz. Note that grape juice is not used for cocktails. |
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Soda is cheaper than juice, about two cents per ounce, with the exception of Red Bull: Coke - 2¢/oz. |
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Here are some of the common specialty cocktail ingredients, seen here on the actual top shelf. Grand Marnier $38.00 / 750 ml bottle - $1.52/oz.
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The more I looked, the more exotic and varied the ingredients became. Blueberry schnapps? Cherry Tequila? Finally, I drew the line. I settled on a working pool of 52 alcohols and mixers. |
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Elite, or "top shelf" name brands are common for the five main liquors, gin, rum, tequila, vodka and whiskey. I think that is really weird. Wouldn't a top-notch orange juice make a bigger difference in the taste of a screwdriver than a top-notch vodka? 
