Why It Pays To Make A Never-Ending Cocktail

In folktales like the Brothers Grimm's "Sweet Porridge," magical cooking pots are capable of producing endless amounts of food without tending to them or adding any ingredients. In the real world, sadly, no such objects exist, but we do have recipes such as "forever soup" that's been simmering for days; a specialty of medieval taverns where consistently added scraps meant the pot never ran dry. (One stew was said to have lasted from the 15th century until the 1940s.) Along those same lines is the never-ending cocktail, made by constantly adding different types of liquor (or different varieties of the same liquor) to a bottle or jar. 

Former bartender Chris Tunstall, co-founder of A Bar Above, described the concept, telling The Takeout, "Think of it like a sourdough starter: You start with a simple base and then slowly add other flavors or components that help the cocktail to evolve, creating something with a rich composition and depth, making for something very unique." It's a magical methodology for those who prefer a complex cocktail over, say, a 500-year-old soup. 

Still, Tunstall cautioned, "A lot can go wrong. Sourdough starters work because you are adding complexity over time without adding flavor [so] it evolves on it's own, whereas [with] cocktails, every ingredient you use brings a different flavor and there is such a thing as over-complexity where too much is happening at once." He recommends keen awareness of every ingredient you add, and how it might work with the pre-existing mix. There are also certain ingredients that just won't fly. "Don't use syrups or juices. Nothing perishable, ever."

Before you contemplate making a never-ending drink, you need to choose the right recipe. At its simplest, you can merely mix different whiskies or rums, but if you want to make an actual cocktail, Chris Tunstall advises, "Stick to spirit-forward cocktails: Manhattans, Negronis, boulevardiers." If your cocktail requires a low ABV liqueur or a fortified wine such as amaro or dry or sweet vermouth, it can still work, but you'll need to refrigerate the drink. If you don't, Tunstall warns, "You're just aging bacteria." He also emphasized that non-shelf-stable ingredients aren't designed for this technique, either, so you can't make margaritas (That lime juice won't last), white Russians (Milk or cream is a no-no), or frothy Tom and Jerry cocktails (Those eggs will go bad).

Tunstall recommends building your never-ending cocktail in either a wide-mouthed decanter or a bottle that can be sealed tightly. He also suggests keeping it in a cool, dark place if you won't be refrigerating it, and says it's a good idea to label it with the ingredients. You might also want to add the start date as well as the dates any ingredients were added; topping it off with one or more ingredients every time you pour some out. "Taste, adjust, then add," said Tunstall. "Like any experiment, you do have to keep an eye on it. Even if you do everything right, it's not something you should ignore."

As for how long your infinite cocktail lasts, well, that's entirely up to you. If you invite a few friends over and knock back the whole thing, it may be gone in an evening. In theory, though, it could last forever. According to Chris Tunstall, "If you keep it sealed, refrigerated if necessary, and made of shelf-stable ingredients ... It can live on indefinitely." That's especially true if it's made from booze and nothing but booze. (That includes bitters, which contain alcohol, and fortified wines — as long as the mix is kept in the refrigerator.)

Infinity cocktails have only been a trend since the 20-teens, though, so we don't have too much proof of their longevity. Some people claim to have never-ending Negronis that were made back in 2018. (Just think — in 2039, those drinks will be old enough to legally drink!) There's also an alleged infinity daiquiri dating to 2023 — okay, so the infinity part is strictly rum, with the lime and sugar getting added after the glasses are poured. Still, it goes to show that there are all sorts of ways to creatively repurpose a never-ending bottle for every type of cocktail connoisseur.