1. Introduction: The Evolution of IBA Codification (1961-2024)

Mixology sits at the crossroads of chemistry, hospitality, and social habits. Over the last century it has gradually formalized itself, and the international reference body is the International Bartenders Association (IBA). The first official codification dates to Oslo, 1961: 50 recipes. Since then, the IBA keeps the canon updated.

The latest revision, closed between 2020 and early 2024, brings the catalog to 102 cocktails, split into three categories of 34 recipes each: “The Unforgettables”, “Contemporary Classics”, and “New Era Drinks”.

2. Operational Analysis of High-Volume Service

2.1 The Mathematical Model 60/140/100

To serve high volumes without losing taste or control over poured alcohol, the industry uses a fixed volumetric model built on a 300 ml highball glass:

• ◆ 100 ml of ice (lowers temperature, slows secondary dilution)
• ◆ 60 ml of alcoholic base (spirit or liqueur)
• ◆ 140 ml of non-alcoholic filler (soda, cola, energy drink, juice)

The result is a cocktail with initial alcohol content around 12% ABV, the same as a glass of table wine. A manageable threshold when you need to serve 200 people in three hours.

2.2 Party Drinks · Volumetric Matrix

3. The IBA 2024 Encyclopedia

The 60/140 model works for mass service. Professional circles instead rely on the millimetric precision of IBA recipes. Below: the three categories broken down with official doses in ml.

The recipes in the “Unforgettables” category are the roots of mixology. 34 cocktails, nearly all born between the mid-1800s and the decade after the end of American Prohibition (1933). They are spirit-forward drinks: the base spirit is the protagonist, the other ingredients support it.