Getting started in VA-11 Hall-A: recipes, Mix versus Blend, Big drinks, saves and finances
Covers the 5 ingredients, ice and aging, mixing methods and 2-drink orders. Distinguish recipe failures from mismatched orders, and check shopping and save opportunities.
Edition: VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, PC Steam main game (AppID 447530). Names from the Japanese edition are cross-referenced with English recipe names. The prologue/ANNA additional scenarios, console button mappings and trophy bugs, and the tabletop RPG/VRChat versions are excluded
Verification scope: Sources compared on 2026-10-04. No actual gameplay or installed build-number check performed. PC and Japanese guides were compared, and conflicting conditions are marked as unresolved
Sources checked: 2026-10-04
36 / 36 rows
Learn each of the 5 ingredients by name and position
Recipes here use the order A, B, D, F, K. These abbreviations are for the article; the actual keys are Q, W, E, R, T. Do not confuse ingredient abbreviation A with the A key that toggles ice.
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| Article abbreviation | Japanese name (translated) | English name | Add 1 unit on PC |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Adelhyde | Adelhyde | Q |
| B | Bronson Extract | Bronson Extract | W |
| D | Powdered Delta | Powdered Delta | E |
| F | Flanergide | Flanergide | R |
| K | Karmotrine | Karmotrine | T |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
You can also handle ingredients with the mouse. If shortcuts do not work, check that the game window has input focus.
Use PC auxiliary keys one action at a time
Space advances not only dialogue but also mixing start, mixing stop and serving. Holding or pressing it repeatedly without checking the screen state can advance before you verify the finished name.
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| Action | PC key | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Remove 1 ingredient unit | Shift＋Q／W／E／R／T | Choose the key corresponding to the ingredient to reduce |
| Toggle ice | A | Whether On the rocks is required |
| Toggle aging | S | Whether Aged is required |
| Advance dialogue/mixing/serving | Space | Whether the current stage is start, stop or serve |
| Conversation history | Tab | Order size, alcohol amount and revised requests |
| Fast-forward dialogue | Ctrl | Do not use while checking an unfamiliar order or branch |
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The article's ingredient abbreviations A, B, D, F, K are not keyboard keys. If confused, select ingredients and settings with the mouse and visually check the finished name.
Follow recipe → settings → mixing → finished name → serving
While mixing, first concentrate on getting the correct finished name. The response to an order is not finalized until you press Serve.
- Open the recipe and first check normal versus Big and 1 drink versus 2
- Add only the required ingredients in the specified quantities. Zero and optional do not mean the same thing
- Set ice and aging as specified. Aging is a toggle, not a number of seconds to wait
- Start Mix. If Mix is required, stop while the shaker is still moving slowly
- If Blend is required, wait until the shaker changes to a faster motion, then stop
- Check the finished name and size before using Serve. If wrong, remake it with Reset
Use the faster shaker motion as your cue rather than counting seconds until Blend. Mixing longer cannot replace the aging setting for a drink that requires it.
Practice: aging changes the finished name even with the same ingredients
Sugar Rush and Sparkle Star share A2, D1 and optional K. Use this to practice identifying recipe failures. This example is not a recommendation for serving any particular customer.
- First turn ice and aging off, add only A2 and D1, then Mix
- Check that the finished name is Sugar Rush
- Start again with the same ingredients, but turn aging on before using Mix
- If it becomes Sparkle Star, you have confirmed that ingredients and settings are checked separately
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| Drink | Ingredients | Ice | Aging | Mixing method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Rush / Sugar Rush | Practice with A2, B0, D1, F0, K0 | No | No | Mix |
| Sparkle Star / Sparkle Star | Practice with A2, B0, D1, F0, K0 | No | Yes | Mix |
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K0 in this example is for practice. Optional does not mean always use zero; decide according to the actual order.
Big doubles the base recipe. Extra optional alcohol alone is not a substitute
Doubling the base ingredients of a normal-size recipe makes it Big (large). Double fixed K too, keeping ice, aging and mixing method unchanged.
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| Example | Normal | Big recipe | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beer | A1・B2・D1・F2・K4 | A2・B4・D2・F4・K8 | Double fixed K too |
| Blue Fairy | A4, F1, optional K | A8, F2, optional K | K0 for no alcohol |
| Sugar Rush | A2, D1, optional K | A4, D2, optional K | Adding optional K alone does not make it Big |
| Piano Man / Piano Woman / Marsblast / Zen Star | The base recipes already use large quantities | Keep the normal table's recipe unchanged | Do not double these again |
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It is incorrect that any total of 11 or more units is Big. A normal recipe with lots of optional K differs from a Big drink made by doubling the base recipe.
Distinguish fixed K, optional K and zero K
K supplies alcohol. A recipe listing K as optional can be made non-alcoholic with K0. Removing K from a drink with fixed K means it is no longer that recipe.
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| Recipe's K entry | How to handle it | Non-alcoholic order |
|---|---|---|
| Optional | Adjust within the amount you can add. Alcohol quantity may affect conversations | Use K0 |
| Fixed number | Use the stated amount normally; double fixed K for Big | Choose another recipe that allows K0 |
| 0 | The stated normal recipe has no K | Keep that recipe unchanged |
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The Soft category does not mean K0. If no alcohol is specified, check actual K as well as the category. Customers have different intoxication thresholds, so this guide does not set a universal safe maximum.
Use 2 slots for 2 drinks. Do not combine them into 1 Big drink
When 2 drinks are ordered together, prepare a separate finished drink in each slot. If the second is a different type, do not simply reuse the same ingredients and settings.
- Note the order separately as "customer 1: drink/size" and "customer 2: drink/size"
- Finish the first drink in Slot 1
- Switch to Slot 2, check the second recipe and make it
- Check both finished names and sizes, then serve them together
Even when 2 identical drinks are requested, putting double ingredients into one slot does not fulfill a 2-drink order.
Read name → flavor → type → extra conditions
Instead of memorizing the entire order, break it into required conditions. A named order differs from one where you can choose a candidate matching preferences.
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| Order form | Information to check | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Specified by name | Drink name and size | Open the recipe with the same name |
| Sweet / Bitter / Sour / Spicy / Bubbly | Flavor | Find candidates in the flavor index |
| Girly / Manly / Classic / Classy / Promo | Type | Match the type. Do not misread Classic as Classy |
| Soft / Happy / Strong / Sobering, etc. | Additional category | Check the relevant tag, then check alcohol separately |
| Cold, non-alcoholic, large | Ice, K, Big | Meet all of these as well as the flavor requirement |
| Usual, same as before, or inferred from a description | Earlier conversations and the current date | Check that customer's order in the log or daily walkthrough |
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Some customers rephrase their requests later. Answers for situations where general categories are not enough are kept in the daily walkthrough.
Checklist when a recipe will not work
Check the 5 ingredients first, then settings, then order conditions.
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| Symptom | What to check | Corrective action | Exception/note |
|---|---|---|---|
| A different name appears | Ice and aging toggles | Restore the recipe settings and remake it from Reset | The same ingredients can make different drinks with different settings |
| No name/failed drink | Ingredient quantities and Mix versus Blend | Recount quantities and adjust mixing duration | Do not treat fixed K as optional |
| Normal when you intended Big | Whether you doubled the base ingredients | Double the base recipe, not just optional K | Do not double the 4 recipes that start with large quantities |
| Correctly made but does not match the order | Flavor, type, alcohol, ice and size | Compare conditions one at a time | The finished name alone does not guarantee a matching order |
| Cannot serve the second drink | Finished drinks in Slot 1 and Slot 2 | Prepare 1 drink in each slot | 2 drinks differ from 1 Big drink |
| The pre-mixing hint discusses something else | Jill's focus and pre-work shopping | Check the log and resolve her preoccupation before the next shift | Do not assume the order itself changed on the spot |
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Separate the correct recipe, order rating and increase in cash
Successfully making a drink differs from fulfilling the order. Matching service can lead to tips and a flawless-service bonus, so check size and alcohol too to protect your finances.
- If the finished name is wrong, correct the recipe first
- If the name matches, check order conditions such as size, flavor and alcohol
- Check income on the results screen and your balance after returning home
- Compare prioritizing living expenses with trying other conversations in separate saves
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| Number/rating displayed | Meaning | Assumption to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe price | The drink's price | Assuming the entire amount goes directly into your cash |
| Response to the order | Whether conditions matched or another response occurred | Assuming the customer's line alone settles every branch |
| Tips/service bonus | Components of income earned from the shift's results | Assuming an expensive drink always pays off even when it does not match the order |
| Balance at home | Cash available for the next bill or purchases | Spending the entire displayed amount before paying bills |
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The sources used here do not establish tip multipliers or a reward formula covering every exception. Instead of a table guaranteeing specific sales totals, check your actual results and balance.
Plan stopping and shopping together at home or during breaks
Do not experiment with orders assuming you can rewind at any moment. Checking saves and payment deadlines together makes it clear where to return after a mistake.
- Save through Data at home and check the date and slot
- Read what is on Jill's mind before work and buy only what is needed
- Plan your balance after subtracting the next bill
- During the break, keep a separate save for the second half
- Check that saving is complete before quitting. Do not rely on autosaves or quicksaves during conversations
Missing one shopping opportunity does not necessarily end the story immediately. Losing order assistance and failing to pay a bill are separate issues, so address them separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can I age a drink by waiting longer?
Aging is a setting toggle. Mixing for longer produces Blend and does not replace aging.
If alcohol is optional, does more K make the drink Big?
No. Optional K and size are separate. For Big, double the base ingredients and check the finished size.
Are remaking a drink and reloading a save the same?
No. Reset before serving restarts mixing. To undo conversations after serving or past purchases, load an earlier save.
What if I missed an order?
On PC, Tab opens conversation history. On days when Jill's preoccupations prevent assistance, note the date, customer, size and alcohol yourself to make comparison easier.