Free Tool
Drink Calculator
Estimate how much to buy for any event. Enter your guest count, how long you're serving, and the drink mix — get beer, wine, and liquor quantities in seconds.
Estimated total drinks
500
Based on ~2 drinks in the first hour and ~1 per guest each hour after.
- Beer
- 200 cans / bottles
- Wine
- 30 bottles (150 glasses)
- Spirits
- 10 × 750ml (150 cocktails)
A planning estimate, not a guarantee — round up for hot weather, heavy pours, or a thirsty crowd. Always serve responsibly and follow local laws.
How the drink calculator works
The standard event planning rule is about two drinks per guest in the first hour, then one drink per guest for each hour after. We apply that to your guest count and event length, then split the total across beer, wine, and cocktails using the mix you set.
Quantities assume a wine bottle pours about five glasses and a 750ml bottle of spirits makes roughly sixteen 1.5oz cocktails. It's a planning estimate — round up for warm weather, long events, or a crowd that likes to drink, and always serve responsibly and within local law.
Drink math, answered
How do you calculate the number of drinks for a party?
Plan on two drinks per guest for the first hour, then one drink per guest for each additional hour. For 50 guests at a 4-hour event that's 50 × (2 + 3) = 250 drinks, split across beer, wine, and cocktails based on your crowd.
How many drinks per person for a wedding?
Weddings usually run long — figure two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per hour after that, which lands around 5–6 drinks per guest for a typical 5-hour reception. Round up for summer weddings and open bars.
How much alcohol do I need for 100 guests?
For a 4-hour event, 100 guests works out to roughly 500 total drinks. With a 40/30/30 beer/wine/cocktail split, that's about 200 beers, 30 bottles of wine (5 glasses each), and 9–10 bottles of spirits (about 16 cocktails per 750ml bottle) — plus mixers and ice.
Is it better to over-buy or under-buy alcohol?
Over-buy, modestly. Unopened bottles and cans can usually be returned or kept, but running dry mid-event can't be fixed. A 10–15% buffer over the calculator's estimate is standard practice.
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