I’m currently trying to find a good mixed drink that works well batched. I like drinking outside on summer evenings and getting up several times to make a new cocktail from scratch doesn’t really fit with the “sit outside and relax” thing for me. The difficulty for me is that I often just don’t like drinking more than one of a particular cocktail, either because it’s too intense in some way or because I get bored of it. And some cocktails just don’t batch well or are a little too involved for what I’m going for (e.g. hard-require shaking or elaborate garnishes).

I’m going to try a batch of Jungle Bird today - it’s better shaken, but it’s still good just poured on ice with a little sparkling water for dilution. Remains to be seen whether I’ll want a second and third one.

Sometimes I also enjoy a mix of whisky, Lillet blanc and a little still water (1 part whisky to 3 parts Lillet), it’s easy-drinking but doesn’t get too boring. The spirit + fortified wine thing seems like a great option, but I haven’t found a mix that I’m really into right now.