Pour Cost Calculator
Work out the pour cost of a single drink — the cost of the liquor poured divided by its menu price — and the profit each pour makes.
How it works
Liquor cost per drink = bottle cost × (pour ml ÷ bottle ml) · Pour cost % = liquor cost per drink ÷ drink price × 100 · Pours per bottle = bottle ml ÷ pour ml
Pour cost is the single-drink version of beverage cost: the cost of the liquor in the glass divided by what you charge for it. You scale the bottle cost by the fraction of the bottle each pour uses, then divide by the drink price. Bars commonly aim for a pour cost around 18–24%, which is the same as saying each drink should sell for four to five times its liquor cost — over-pouring even a few milliliters per drink quietly pushes that number up.
Worked example
A $24 750 ml bottle poured in 44 ml shots costs 24 × (44 ÷ 750) = $1.41 of liquor per drink. Sold at $9, that is a 15.6% pour cost and $7.59 of profit, with about 17 pours and $153 of revenue in every bottle.
Frequently asked questions
What pour cost should a bar target?
A common target is 18–24%, meaning drinks sell for roughly four to five times their liquor cost. Cocktails with multiple ingredients often sit higher, while high-volume well pours can run leaner; the blend is what matters.
How many drinks are in a 750 ml bottle?
At a standard 1.5 oz (about 44 ml) pour, a 750 ml bottle yields roughly 17 drinks. Larger pours or free-pouring reduce that count and raise your effective pour cost.
Does pour cost include mixers and garnish?
This calculator costs only the spirit. For a full cocktail, add the cost of juices, syrups, garnish and ice to the per-drink cost before dividing by price — those extras can add a meaningful few percentage points on complex builds.
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Educational estimate, not financial advice.