Cocktail Dilution Calculator
See how stirring or shaking changes a cocktail's volume and ABV, and how much water to pre-add when batching drinks for a bottle.
Processed locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Cocktail Dilution Calculator
Stirring over ice adds roughly 20–25% water.
90 ml ≈ 3 oz, a typical stirred cocktail before dilution.
Results
- Water added
- 20 ml
- Final volume
- 110 ml
- Final ABV
- 24.6%
Dilution varies with ice size, temperature, and how long you mix; the percentage is an average, not a law.
About Cocktail Dilution Calculator
Ice doesn't just chill a drink — stirring adds roughly 20–25% water and shaking 25–30%, which is a deliberate part of the recipe. Enter a drink's pre-dilution volume and ABV to see the final volume, final strength, and exactly how much water the mixing added.
Batch mode scales a recipe to any number of servings and tells you how much water to add up front, so bottled or pitcher cocktails taste like they came off the bar spoon instead of tasting hot and underdiluted.
Common uses
- Pre-batch Manhattans for a party with the right pre-dilution water
- Check the real ABV of a shaken drink before pouring a second
- Tune a stirred recipe that tastes too strong straight from the mixing glass
Example
Input
Batch · 8 servings × 90 ml at 30% · stirred (22%)
Output
720 ml spirits + 158 ml water · final ABV 24.6%
Limitations
- Dilution percentages are averages — ice size, temperature, and mixing time all move them.
- Built drinks are treated as zero mixing dilution; ice melting in the glass afterward isn't modeled.
Frequently asked questions
How much water does shaking a cocktail add?
Roughly 25 to 30% of the drink's pre-dilution volume; the calculator defaults to 27%. Stirring is gentler at 20 to 25% (default 22%), which is why stirred drinks like a Manhattan stay silkier and slightly stronger.
Why do you add water when batching cocktails?
Because a bottled or pitcher drink is poured without stirring or shaking over ice, it never gets the 20 to 30% water that mixing normally adds. Adding that water up front makes the batch taste balanced instead of hot and underdiluted.
How does dilution change a cocktail's ABV?
The alcohol stays the same while the volume grows, so final ABV is the original ABV times the original volume divided by the final volume. A 90 ml drink at 30% stirred with 22% dilution lands at about 24.6%.
Does a built drink like a highball get any dilution?
Not from mixing — the calculator treats built drinks as 0% dilution because they're assembled in the serving glass. Ice melting while you sip adds water over time, but that ongoing melt isn't modeled.
Are my cocktail recipes uploaded when I batch them?
No. The dilution and batching math runs in your browser, and none of the volumes or ABVs you enter are transmitted or stored.