Open Bar Calculator
How much beer, wine, spirits and ice to buy for a wedding or party — from your guest count, hours and drink mix.
How it works
total drinks = guests × hours × drinks per hour · split by mix % · beer = 1 bottle each · wine = drinks ÷ 5 (glasses per 750 ml) · spirits = drinks ÷ 16 (shots per 750 ml) · ice = guests × 1.5 lb
The backbone is one estimate: guests × hours × a per-hour drinking rate. Average drinkers have about one drink an hour, with the first hour and a cocktail-heavy crowd running higher — plan light/average/heavy to taste. Split the total by your beer/wine/spirits mix, then convert to bottles: a 750 ml wine bottle pours about five glasses and a 750 ml spirit bottle yields about sixteen 1.5 oz shots. Ice disappears fast at events — figure roughly 1.5 lb per guest for chilling and drinks. Percentages that don’t sum to 100 are normalized automatically.
Worked example
100 guests, a 5-hour reception, average drinking (1/hour): 100 × 5 × 1 = 500 drinks. At a 40/40/20 mix that’s 200 beers, 200 wine pours (÷5 = 40 bottles) and 100 shots (÷16 ≈ 7 bottles of spirits). Ice: 100 × 1.5 = 150 lb, about 15 ten-pound bags.
Frequently asked questions
How many drinks per guest should I plan?
A common rule is one drink per guest per hour, with about two in the first hour as people arrive. So a 4-hour party for 50 lands near 200 drinks. Scale up for a celebratory, cocktail-forward crowd and down for a daytime or family event.
How many glasses in a bottle of wine?
A standard 750 ml bottle holds about five 5 oz pours. Sparkling wine for a toast stretches a bit further with smaller flutes. This calculator uses five glasses per bottle, so wine bottles = wine drinks ÷ 5, rounded up.
How much liquor do I need for cocktails?
A 750 ml bottle gives roughly sixteen 1.5 oz shots, so it covers about sixteen single-spirit cocktails. Don’t forget mixers, garnishes and about 1.5 lb of ice per guest — ice runs out faster than the alcohol at most events.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.