Planning a party or wedding and wondering how much to serve? Running out of drinks is stressful, and over-buying is expensive and wasteful. The good news is that a simple formula gets you very close. Here is how to figure out how many drinks to plan per guest, plus tips for adjusting to your crowd.
The Quick Rule of Thumb
Plan on 2 drinks per guest in the first hour, then 1 drink per guest for each hour after that.
That works out to:
2-hour party: about 3 drinks per guest
4-hour reception: about 5 drinks per guest
6-hour wedding: about 7 drinks per guest
People tend to drink faster at the start of an event, when they arrive, greet friends, and grab a first cocktail. Then they settle into a slower pace.
A Quick Example
Say you are hosting 100 guests for a 4-hour event.
First hour: 100 guests x 2 drinks = 200 drinks
Next three hours: 100 guests x 3 drinks = 300 drinks
Total: about 500 drinks
From there, you can split that total across cocktails, beer, and wine based on your menu.
What Counts as One Drink?
A standard serving is:
Beer: 12 oz
Wine: 5 oz
Liquor in a cocktail: 1.5 oz
That helps you turn drink counts into bottles:
A 750 mL bottle of wine pours about 5 glasses.
A 750 mL bottle of liquor makes about 17 cocktails with a 1.5 oz pour. A 1-liter bottle makes about 22.
A bottle of sparkling wine fills about 6 flutes, which is handy for a toast.
For example, if half of your 500 drinks are wine, that is 250 glasses, or about 50 bottles.
Adjust for Your Crowd
The formula is a starting point. Plan on the higher side if:
The event is in the evening or runs late
It is a celebration, like a wedding or milestone birthday
The bar is open and guests are not paying
It is a hot day, especially outdoors
Your guests are social drinkers who enjoy cocktails
Plan on the lower side if:
It is a daytime or brunch event
A full meal is served
It is a weeknight or a business event
Many guests are not drinking, or the crowd includes lots of children or older guests
When in doubt, round up by about 10%. Unopened bottles are easy to keep or return, but a dry bar halfway through the night is hard to fix.
Don't Forget the Extras
Drinks are only part of the picture. Make sure you also plan for:
Ice: About 1 to 2 pounds per guest, depending on how many cocktails you serve and how warm it is
Mixers and garnishes: Citrus, soda, tonic, juices, and fresh herbs go quickly
Non-alcoholic options: A good mocktail or sparkling option makes every guest feel included
Water and food: They keep the evening running smoothly and help everyone pace themselves
Glassware: Real glassware looks better and cuts down on single-use waste, but you will need enough to keep up with the crowd
Weddings vs. Parties
Weddings have a few quirks. Many guests have a drink during cocktail hour, then another with dinner, then take a break for toasts and dancing. If you are planning a champagne toast, count it separately: about one pour per guest.
Smaller parties are easier to predict. With 20 to 40 guests, you can often see how people drink within the first hour and adjust.
Make It Simpler With a Signature Menu
One of the easiest ways to keep quantities predictable is to build a smaller, thoughtful menu. Two or three signature cocktails plus beer and wine mean fewer ingredients to buy, less waste, and faster service at the bar.
Let a Mobile Bar Do the Math for You
At Coastal Pour, we build a custom menu around your event, bring a styled mobile bar to you, and handle the service so you can celebrate. We serve events across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.
Ready to plan? Book your event, explore our event rentals, or see everything we offer on our services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many drinks per person for a 4-hour wedding? Plan on about 5 drinks per guest: 2 in the first hour and 1 each hour after.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 50 guests? If everyone drinks wine at a 4-hour event, plan for about 250 glasses, or roughly 50 bottles. If only half of your guests choose wine, you need about half of that.
Should I round up? Yes. Rounding up by about 10% gives you a cushion without a lot of waste.