HOW MUCH ALCOHOL DO I NEED?

How much alcohol do I need spreadsheet.

You don't order enough you run out, you order too much and your stuck with the leftovers. After 20+ years being in the bar industry, from weddings and private parties to large-scale events - we can tell you this: the right amount depends on more than just guest counts.

When we start to plan our clients' bars, the first thing we do is tell them to pay attention to what their guests drink. Take notes! Knowing what your guests drink will help you avoid buying unnecessary alcohol.

-NATIONAL AVERAGES:

• Weddings:

  • 2-3 drinks during cocktail hour

  • 1 drink every hour after that

• Backyard Parties:

  • 4-6 drinks per person total

• Corporate Events/Networking Mixers:

  • 3-4 drinks per person total

-GUEST COUNT:

Plan for one drink per person per hour minimum. Not that everyone drinks the same amount but, this gives you a safe starting point. Some people think that this number is low by saying "we have big drinks" while that may be true, you'll also some people who very few or no drinks.

100 guests x 5-hour event = 500 total drinks.

-KNOW YOUR CROWD:

This is the most important thing to consider. Do you know your guests are heavy beer drinks? Or will they lean towards mixed drinks? Every event has its own vibe.

-WHAT ARE YOU SERVING?

Are you planning a full open bar, a limited selection, or just beer and wine, specialty cocktails only? The more streamlined your menu, the simpler — and more budget-friendly — your ordering will be.

For example, if none of your guests drink tequila, there’s no real reason to stock it. And if one guest prefers Coors Light but you’re serving Miller Lite, chances are they’ll happily grab what’s available.

Keeping your bar options focused and intentional reduces overbuying, cuts costs, and takes a lot of unnecessary stress off your plate.

-PROPER PLANNING:

With any type of bar, you're going to want to ensure you have ice for your coolers, cups, straws, beverage napkins. If you are hosting a full or limited bar, you'll also need to get mixers, garnishes, straws and beverage napkins as well as, additional ice for drinks.

• Ice

  • You will want to get approximately 2lbs per person of ice, 100 guests x 2lbs of ice = 200lbs. Half to 3/4 of that amount will fill coolers.

• Garnishes

  • Limes 12-15lbs

  • Lemons 6-8lbs

  • Oranges 4-6lbs

  • Cherries 1 large jar

  • Olives 1 large jar (unless you are serving martinis or know your guests are big martini drinkers, from our experience most guests do not want to drink martinis out of plastic cups).

-BREAKDOWN BY DRINK TYPE:

The national averages are:

• Beer 40%

• Wine 30%

• *Spirits/Cocktails 30%

NOTE: We've found that with more people drinking hard-seltzers or ready-made cocktails (Truly, High Noons etc.) the amount of wine being consumed is typically lower than 30%, we include seltzers in our beer calculations and increase that number to reflect this category when planning our bars.

*If your bar will have specialty cocktails you'll want to increase the amount of those liquors, mixers and garnishes.

Want exact quantities based off of our experience and not the national averages (we also had a 15% cushion to ensure you do not run out of anything)? Click here to download our alcohol planning worksheet. Simply put your guest count, the type of bar, open bar hours and the alcohol in your specialty cocktails (if applicable).