Bitter Math
or How Much Does it Cost to Use a Good Bitter vs. a Cheap One?
This is to settle an long standing question and try to at least attempt to frame a methodology for deciding on cost benefit analysis on cocktail ingredients. In plain English - just how much more does it cost to mix a cocktail from top shelf ingredients than bottom shelf artificial crap
As Gary Regan, famous author and bartender pointed out to me – I would have to analyze hundreds if not thousands of recipes to come up with an average serving for ingredients. So I rapidly abandoned that approach. Instead here are some calculations and formulas based on cost and quantities of bitters per drink. Depending on the measurements ( drops, dashes, ounces, etc.,) it is fairly easy to do the math. Below is a table showing yields:
Bottle Size |
Shot Size |
# of Drinks |
| 1 Ounce | 1 Drop |
480 |
| 1 Ounce | 1 Dash (6 drops) |
80 |
| 1 Ounce | 2 Dashes (12 drops) |
40 |
| 1 Ounce | 3 Dashes (18 drops) |
26.66 |
| 1 Ounce | 4 Dashes (24 drops) |
20 |
| 2 Ounces | 1 Drop |
960 |
| 2 Ounces | 1 Dash (6 drops) |
160 |
| 2 Ounces |
2 Dashes (12 drops) |
80 |
| 2 Ounces |
3 Dashes (18 drops) |
53.33 |
| 2 Ounces | 4 Dashes (24drops) |
40 |
| 4 Ounces | 1 Drop |
1920 |
| 4 Ounces | 1 Dash (6 drops) | 320 |
| 4 Ounces |
2 Dashes (12 drops) |
160 |
| 4 Ounces | 3 Dashes (18 drops) |
106.66 |
| 4 Ounces | 4 Dashes (24drops) |
80 |
| 8 Ounces | 1 Drop |
3840 |
| 8 Ounces | 1 Dash (6 drops) |
640 |
| 8 Ounces | 2 Dashes (12 drops) |
320 |
| 8 Ounces | 3 Dashes (18 drops) |
213.33 |
| 8 Ounces | 4 Dashes (24drops) |
160 |
If we round these off for the sake of simplicity,
Size |
Size |
# or yield |
@$1 |
@$5 |
@$10 |
@ $15 | @ $20 |
@ $30 |
1 Ounce |
1 Drop |
480 |
1/4 ¢ |
1 ¢ |
2 ¢ |
3 ¢ |
4 ¢ |
6 ¢ |
1 Ounce |
1 Dash ( 6 Drops ) |
80 |
1 1/2 ¢ |
6 ¢ |
12 ¢ |
18 ¢ |
24 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
1 Ounce |
2 Dashes ( 12 Drops ) |
40 |
3 ¢ |
12 ¢ |
24 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
48 ¢ |
73 ¢ |
1 Ounce |
3 Dashes ( 18 Drops ) |
|
5 ¢ |
18 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
54 ¢ |
72 ¢ |
$1.08 |
1 Ounce |
4 Dashes ( 24 Drops ) |
20 |
6 ¢ |
24 ¢ |
48 ¢ |
72 ¢ |
96 ¢ |
$1.44 |
| 2 Ounces | 1 Drop |
960 |
1/2 ¢ |
1 ¢ |
1 1/2 ¢ |
2 ¢ |
3 ¢ |
|
1 Dash ( 6 Drops ) |
160 |
3 ¢ |
6 ¢ |
9 ¢ |
4 ¢ |
18 ¢ |
||
2 Dashes ( 12 Drops ) |
80 |
6 ¢ |
12.5 ¢ |
19 ¢ |
25 ¢ |
38 ¢ |
||
3 Dashes ( 18 Drops ) |
53.33 |
9 ¢ |
18 ¢ |
27 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
54 ¢ |
||
4 Dashes ( 24 Drops ) |
40 |
12 ¢ |
25 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
50¢ |
75 ¢ |
||
Size |
Size |
# or yield |
@$1 |
@$5 |
@$10 |
@ $15 | @ $20 |
@ $30 |
| 4 Ounces | 1 Drop |
1920 |
1/4 ¢ |
1/2 ¢ |
3/4 ¢ |
1 ¢ |
3 1/2 ¢ |
|
1 Dash ( 6 Drops ) |
320 |
1 1/2 ¢ |
3 ¢ |
5 ¢ |
6 ¢ |
9 ¢ |
||
2 Dashes ( 12 Drops ) |
160 |
3 ¢ |
6 ¢ |
9 ¢ |
12¢ |
18¢ |
||
3 Dashes ( 18 Drops ) |
107 |
5 ¢ |
9 ¢ |
13 ¢ |
18¢ |
27 ¢ |
||
4 Dashes ( 24 Drops ) |
80 |
6 ¢ |
12 ¢ |
18 ¢ |
24¢ |
36¢ |
||
| 8 Ounces | 1 Drop |
3840 |
1/2 ¢ |
1 ¢ |
1 1/2 ¢ |
2 ¢ |
3 ¢ |
|
1 Dash ( 6 Drops ) |
640 |
3 ¢ |
6 ¢ |
9 ¢ |
12 ¢ |
18¢ |
||
2 Dashes ( 12 Drops ) |
320 |
6 ¢ |
12.5 ¢ |
19 ¢ |
24 ¢ |
38 ¢ |
||
3 Dashes ( 18 Drops ) |
215 |
10 ¢ |
18 ¢ |
28 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
46 ¢ |
||
4 Dashes ( 24 Drops ) |
160 |
12 ¢ |
24 ¢ |
36 ¢ |
48 ¢ |
72 ¢ |
So if you add up the ingredients based on this formula you get the total cost to compare a low end to high end cocktail. For more expensive ingredients, just add whatever increments you need (example: for a $40 bottle add the $10 and $30 together)
As bitters are usually in added as 2 - 3 dashes at most so anywhere from 12.5 ¢ to 38 ¢ cost (2 dashes) per drink difference between a $5 bottle of cheap stuff and a premium, like Urban Moonshine. So the price difference between the two runs between 25 ¢ per drink (based on two )
Personally I think my drink and my friends' drinks are worth it.
