🥂 Drink Quantity Calculator
Enter your guest count and event duration to estimate total drinks needed and how many bottles of wine or cases of beer to buy.
From guests to bottles
One headline figure, then a fixed 40/30/30 split into beer, wine and spirits:
total drinks = guests × hours × drinks per person per hour
wine bottles = ceil(total × 0.30 / 5) // 5 glasses a bottle
beer cases = ceil(total × 0.40 / 24) // 24 to a case
spirit drinks= ceil(total × 0.30)Fifty guests for four hours at one drink an hour is 200 drinks: 60 glasses of wine, which is 12 bottles; 80 beers, which rounds up to 4 cases; and 60 spirit drinks. Those 60 pours at 1.5 oz each need about four 750 ml bottles, since a bottle yields roughly 16 measures.
Setting the rate honestly
The rate is flat, but drinking is not - people take about two in the first hour and one an hour afterwards. Over four hours that is five each, or 1.25 an hour, so a wedding-style reception is underestimated at 1.
| Event | Rate | 50 guests, 4 hours |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon or family party | 0.5 | 100 drinks |
| Standard evening party | 1.0 | 200 drinks |
| Reception with an open bar | 1.25 | 250 drinks |
| Late, heavy-drinking crowd | 1.5 | 300 drinks |
The 40/30/30 split is a planning default, not a measurement. A wine-drinking crowd can run 60% wine, which on 200 drinks is 24 bottles rather than 12 - re-do that division by hand if you know your guests.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for 50 guests?
Over four hours at one drink an hour, 200 drinks: 12 bottles of wine, 4 cases of beer and 60 spirit pours, which is about four 750 ml bottles.
How many glasses of wine are in a bottle?
Five, at a 5 oz pour from a 750 ml bottle. That is the figure the calculator divides by, so 60 glasses becomes 12 bottles exactly.
How many drinks per person per hour should I plan for?
One is the safe base. Use 1.25 for a reception with an open bar, because the first hour runs at roughly two a head and the flat rate has to carry that average.