Party Liquor Calculator

Calculate how much liquor for a party

Use this calculator to plan your bar in minutes. Enter your guest count, choose the drinking level (low/medium/high), select event hours, and click CALCULATE. Quantities auto scale from a 4-hour, 100-guest baseline, with ice shown as 2.5 kg bags to make planning easier and more practical. Use the Buy now links to open Amazon in a new tab and order what you need. When in doubt, round up.

Enter your guest count, choose the drinking level, and select event hours.

Quantities auto scale from a 4-hour, 100-guest baseline.

Ice is shown as 2.5 kg bags for easier and more practical planning.

When in doubt, round up.

Bar Supply Calculator

Number of Guests

Consumption Level

Event Hours

Drink Planning

Calculate

When you hire a bartender for private event, the first relevant data is the number of guests. You probably have a definitive list when buying the drinks.

Event Estimate

If the event is daytime or starts in the early hours, or if there are many young people among the guests, you will have to add a few more bottles to the estimated calculation.

If it is daytime, it is calculated between 8 and 10 drinks per guest. For an evening event, between 4 and 6 drinks. If the link is in summer, you would have to add 15 or 20% more.

Bottle Guide

Capacity per bottle

To calculate your needs, first, understand bottle capacity in cups. White wine: 120 ml per glass, red wine: 150 ml per glass. A 750 ml bottle typically serves 8 to 10 glasses.

Sparkling wine: 140 ml per flute, dessert wine: 75 ml per glass. Simplifying, one bottle of white wine serves 5, red wine serves 3.

Guest Preferences

Preferences: red wine
According to experts, one 750 ml bottle of red wine serves 3 people. Not all guests will drink this much, while some might drink more.

For meals like roast, popular among Uruguayans, the estimated ratio is 80% red wine and 20% white wine per person. Exclude children, pregnant women, and non-drinkers from calculations.

For daytime events, consider adjusting to 7 bottles of red wine for every 3 bottles of white wine.

Toast Planning

The sparkling, infallible for toast

Surely, for the toast you offer some sparkling wine, but it is also ideal for the reception, a cocktail with snacks on a platter. This is because you can share prominence with red wine and the waiters will fill the guest glasses.

Even the demand for white wine can increase in this type of reception. Depending on the case, if it will be drunk on one occasion, the calculation is one bottle of sparkling wine every 8 people. If it's both, you should double it.

Water and Sodas

The water must be on all tables. To do this, let's calculate half a liter per person.

In the case of sodas and soft drinks, these accompany the meals of guests who do not drink, but also add to the snacks. The drink with the highest output is the cola, 70%, the rest you can distribute between orange, lime-lemon and light drinks. In these cases, we calculate one liter per person.

Mixing Drinks

When calculating the number of bottles, remember to include spirits if your party will have a full drinks bar. Common options include tequila, rum, vodka, fernet, and whiskey. After estimating the liquor, use our bar supplies shopping guide to plan mixers, drinkware, pourers, napkins, and other essentials for beverage service.

For example, for 50 guests who lean towards long drinks, an estimated calculation for the bar would be: tequila, 3 to 4 bottles; vodka, 3 to 4; rum, 2 to 3; fernet, 4 to 5; beer and one glass per person.

Beer planning

Refreshing Beer

A guest who prefers beer may drink three to four servings during the event. Since not every adult will choose beer, one bottle or can per adult guest is a practical starting estimate. If beer is the main complimentary drink, plan closer to two servings per person and adjust for the event length.

Before you buy

Other Details to Consider

Guests will not all drink the same beverage. Some may choose wine, while others prefer beer or mixed drinks. In most cases, a guest who starts with one type of drink will continue with it. These choices often help balance the total amount consumed across the bar.

If more guests arrive after dinner, include them in the beverage estimate. As a broad planning reference, one standard bottle of liquor for every three guests can help you begin, but the final amount should reflect the menu, event length, and guest preferences.

Planning tip: Moderate service is easier to enjoy and manage. When possible, buy from a store that accepts unopened returns. Also confirm how beverages will be chilled and served before the event begins.

Helpful shopping list