How much to buy for a party
The classic planning rule is about one drink per guest in the first hour and roughly three-quarters of a drink per guest for each hour after that, since the pace naturally slows as the night goes on. Set your guest count and duration and the tool turns that into concrete bottle counts, splitting the total across beer, wine and spirits according to the style of bar you're running.
Beer, wine, spirits — and cocktails
A standard 750ml wine bottle pours about five glasses, a bottle of spirits stretches across many cocktails, and beer is counted by the bottle or can. If you pick a bar with cocktails, the tool also scales six classic recipes to the number of cocktail servings you'll need and lists the ingredients — a ready shopping list. For the full step-by-step of each drink, the recipes link through to the interactive cocktail guide.
Plan with a comfortable margin
These are estimates from standard event-planning guides; real consumption swings with the crowd, the weather and how long people actually stay. It's wise to round up a little and keep plenty of non-alcoholic options and ice, which people always underestimate. Treat the numbers as a confident starting point, not an exact order.
Estimates only: real consumption varies — round up and keep extra non-alcoholic options.
Frequently asked questions
How many drinks per guest should I plan?
About one drink in the first hour and ~0.75 per hour after that, per guest. The tool applies this and rounds up to whole bottles.
Where do the cocktail recipes come from?
They're six classic bartending recipes scaled to your event. Tap the link in the recipes section to see each one prepared step by step.
How many drinks do I need for a party?
A common guide is about one drink per guest per hour. The calculator turns your guest count and party length into bottles of beer, wine and spirits.
How much wine per person at dinner?
Roughly half a bottle per adult over a meal, so one bottle serves two. Allow more for a longer or livelier event.
How do I plan a mix of drinks?
Split by preference — a rough 50/30/20 between beer, wine and spirits suits a general crowd — then scale each to your guest count.