Enter your guest count, event duration, and party style — get an instant breakdown of how much beer, wine, and spirits to buy. Adjust for non-drinkers and add a safety buffer.
Party style
Total attendees
guests
Hours of open bar
hours
Include non-drinkers
Reduces total estimate by ~20%
20%
Safety bufferAdd extra to avoid running short
0%30%+10%
Estimated quantities to buy
🍺—cans / bottlesBeer
🍷—750ml bottlesWine
🥃—700ml bottlesSpirits
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The calculator uses the industry-standard baseline of one drink per guest per hour, adjusted for party style, then splits the total across beer, wine, and spirits according to typical consumption patterns for each event type.
Drinks per hour by party type
Casual: 1.0 drinks/hr — standard for relaxed social gatherings
Cocktail party: 1.25 drinks/hr — higher engagement with the bar, more mixing
Wine: 5 glasses per 750ml bottle (150ml per glass)
Spirits: 28 drinks per 700ml bottle (25ml per serve, accounting for mixers)
On the safety buffer: the calculator adds your chosen buffer (0–30%) to the final totals. A 10–15% buffer is the standard recommendation for most events — it covers drink spills, heavier-than-expected consumption, and the social pressure of not running short. For events above 100 guests, a 15% buffer is advisable. For events with an open bar with no set end time, use 20%+.
Things the Calculator Doesn't Account For
No calculator can fully replace event judgment. A few variables that affect real consumption and should be adjusted manually:
Age of guests: younger crowds (20s) tend to drink more; older guests (60s+) tend to drink less
Food service: events with heavy food service consume less alcohol than those with light snacks only
Event timing: evening events typically see higher consumption than daytime events
Signature cocktails: if you're serving a specific cocktail rather than a full bar, plan by that recipe's pour size rather than this calculator's spirit estimate