Scaffa
Society

scaffa /ˈskaf.fa/
noun a drink built, mixed, & served at room temperature: no chill, no dilution, & no ICE.
We are an industry collective supporting neighbors impacted by accelerated ICE deployment. We aim to spark productive conversation and responsible action.

We’ve aggregated helpful guides and checklists plus links to legal advice and reputable groups that are working hard to support individuals affected. You’ll also find Scaffa inspiration here.

We don’t use AI, tracking, or cookies, but are beholden to the policies of our hosting platform, Cargo.

SCAFFA GUIDELINES
  • No chill, no dilution, & no ICE
  • Use spirits, liqueurs, & bitters to keep it shelf stable
  • Avoid vermouths or juices  
  • Aim for total volume of 2-3 OZ
  • Consider serving yours as a shot if that will appeal to your guests better
  • Due to their shelf-stable nature, Scaffas are easily scalable. We encourage batching to facilitate sampling & efficient service wherever appropriate.
Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide, 1862

    Below are some amazing Scaffas that have been served across the country. 
    Use them as inspiration to come up with your own or fall back on the classics. 

    Love what you made? Submit your recipe, we’d love to feature it!
    JUST THE PAPERWORK
    credit    1.5 OZ
    0.75 OZ
    0.75 OZ
    1 DASH    COGNAC
    AMARO NONINO
    COCCHI AMERICANO
    ORANGE CITRATE
    HEART OF GLASS
    credit     1.5 OZ 
    0.75 OZ
    0.75 OZ
    17 DROPS
    GARNISH     BOURBON
    CARPANO ANTICA
    CYNAR
    ANGOSTURA BITTERS
    ORANGE PEEL
    THE BRAVE
    credit     1 OZ 
    1 OZ
    0.5 OZ 
    1 BSP 
    3 DASHES     MEZCAL OR SOTOL   
    TEQUILA BLANCO
    AVERNA 
    ORANGE CURACAO 
    ANGOSTURA BITTERS
    THE PENDERGAST
    credit     1.5 OZ
    0.75 OZ
    0.5 OZ 
    2 DASHES
    GARNISH     BOURBON
    SWEET VERMOUTH
    BÉNÉDICTINE
    ANGOSTURA BITTERS
    LEMON PEEL
    BLACK RIVER NO. 1
    credit     2 OZ 
    0.5 OZ
    0.5 OZ
    1 DASH
    GARNISH     JAMAICAN RUM
    AMARO AVERNA
    COFFEE LIQUEUR
    ORANGE BITTERS
    ORANGE TWIST
    NIGHT TRIPPER
    credit     1.5 OZ 
    0.75 OZ
    0.75 OZ 
    2 DASHES     BOURBON
    AVERNA
    STREGA
    PEYCHAUD'S BITTERS
    All major cocktail publications will be valuable resources for your r&d. 
    We also recommend perusing the archives of @dayandnightcocktails for inspiration.
    Our good friend there lent the following:
    This was my formula for building a Scaffa:
    0.75-1 OZ spirit
    0.75-0.5 OZ vermouth/aromaticized wine
    0.75-0.5 OZ liqueur/sweetener
    dashes of bitters, salt, vinegars, etc

    Basically: build an old fashioned, make it half-sized, and then build other flavor combinations using aromatized wines & liqueurs.

    The Scaffa should drink kind of like a cognac or a dry liqueur; long on the palate & complex.

    You’ll find many modern variations stray from the original definition and may use syrups, vermouths, or dilution. 
    We encourage making good drinks as much as making historically accurate ones. 

    We urge you to use the word Scaffa somewhere in your menu verbiage to increase visibility.