We’re now wading through the deep waters of the holiday season. While I love offering food ideas for easy party planning, I think we need to address an equally important player: drinks. As someone who loves to throw parties, one of the biggest ways I help myself is by mixing cocktails. It saves time, mess, and stress. I’d love for you to have more time mixing and less time mixing, so use these batching tips to prep your holiday cocktails and mocktails ahead of time.

The concept is simple: Batch cocktails are simply large quantities of pre-mixed drinks without ice. Many cocktail recipes are ratios or have quantities that can be easily multiplied. This means that, depending on the mixture, you can pour large quantities of the ingredients together and store the mixture in the fridge or freezer for hours or days before you need it. Once the party is underway, all that’s left to do is make your themed drink. Often, that step is as complicated as pouring it over ice.

Making batches ahead of time will give you more time on the day of the festivities to focus on serving up charcuterie boards, answering the doorbell, or actually eating your own snacks and chatting with people you care about. Make sure to let your guests know where the batch is so they can help themselves. This will allow them to be more independent and embrace the “do it yourself” spirit of the holidays.

Now that you understand the benefits of batching, here are some tips to help you on your way to success.