How to use the dilution calculator

Pick your method. Stir or shake, how fast you stir, whether your ice is dry or wet, and the starting temperature of your mixing glass.
Pick your ice. Machine cubes, Kold-Draft, cracked rock, or crushed. Smaller, wetter ice melts faster and adds more water.
Enter the recipe. Choose a classic or enter a custom volume, ABV, and sweetness.
Read the results. Drag the time slider to see how temperature and dilution change the longer you stir or shake.

The results are estimates from a heat-transfer model, not measurements. To lock in your house spec, check a few drinks with a probe thermometer and a gram scale.

How much water to add to batched cocktails

Stirring and shaking do two jobs: they chill the drink and they add water. A pre-batched cocktail skips both, so you have to add the water yourself. Without it, a bottled Martini or Negroni pours hot, sharp, and unbalanced.

You'll see rules of thumb anywhere from 20% to 45% water. The right amount depends on the drink, your ice, and how you'd normally mix it. To get a number for your drink:

Set the calculator to match how you'd make one serving at your bar.
Take the Water added result and multiply it by the number of servings in your batch.
Add that much filtered water to the batch, then chill it.

Example: if one stirred Martini picks up 0.9 oz of water, a 10-serving batch needs 9 oz. Keep in mind that freezer batches pour colder than a stirred drink. Some bartenders pull back the water slightly for a freezer-door Martini. Taste and adjust.

How long to stir or shake a cocktail

Shaking is violent and fast. After about 12 to 15 seconds of hard shaking, most drinks reach roughly the same temperature and dilution, and shaking longer changes little. Stirring is gentler, so it chills and dilutes more slowly. Stirred drinks usually finish warmer and less diluted than shaken ones. That's part of why a Manhattan tastes richer and more concentrated than a Daiquiri.

The calculator's stir-time result shows when your drink reaches its target. The chart shows how quickly returns fall off. After a certain point, extra stirring adds water without making the drink much colder.

What changes how much a cocktail dilutes

Ice size and surface. Small or cracked ice has more surface area and melts faster. Wet ice from a bin adds water right away.
Glass temperature. A warm glass from the dishwasher melts extra ice before the drink even starts chilling.
Ingredient temperature. Refrigerated vermouth or batch means less melting to reach the same chill.
Alcohol content. Higher-ABV drinks can get colder and pull more meltwater off the ice.
Sugar. Sweeter drinks can take more dilution before they taste watery.

Cocktail ABV after dilution

Dilution lowers a cocktail's strength. A stirred Martini that starts around 36% ABV can finish in the high 20s once meltwater is added. The calculator shows final ABV next to finished volume. That's useful for menu descriptions, responsible service, and comparing a stirred spec against a shaken one.

Frequently asked questions

How much dilution should a cocktail have?
No single number works for every drink. Shaken drinks generally take on more water than stirred ones, and sweeter or stronger drinks can handle more. Use the calculator for a drink-specific estimate, then adjust to taste.

Does shaking or stirring dilute more?
Shaking dilutes more and chills faster. Stirring gives a clearer, silkier drink with less water.

How cold should a Martini be?
A well-stirred Martini usually finishes a few degrees below freezing, around 25–29°F depending on ice and stir time. A freezer-batched Martini pours colder.

Can I use this for a freezer Martini or bottled Negroni?
Yes. Match the settings to how you'd stir one serving, multiply the "Water added" result by your servings, and add that water to the bottle.

Is this accurate?
It's calibrated against published tests by America's Test Kitchen, PUNCH, and Dave Arnold and Eben Klemm. The "likely" ranges cover the middle 80% of simulated drinks. Real results vary with your ice and technique, so confirm with a thermometer and scale.

Save your specs in Spec

Once you've dialed in the dilution, use the Copy spec note button and save the recipe in Spec. Your team gets the same build every time, batch recipes scale automatically, and every drink is costed down to the water.