Event Bar Drinks Calculator
Fill in the values and the answer updates as you type.
How the Event Bar Drinks Calculator works
A common bar rule is two drinks for each drinking guest in the first hour and one drink for each hour after that, so drinks per guest = 2 + (hours − 1). Total drinks = guests × the share who drink × drinks per guest. The total is then split by the shares you choose for wine and beer, and the rest is liquor. A 750 ml wine bottle pours about 5 glasses, and a 750 ml bottle of liquor pours about 17 drinks of 1.5 oz. Round up so the bar does not run dry, and also stock water, soda, and juice. Serve alcohol responsibly and follow the laws and venue rules where you live. Example: with Guests 100, Guests who drink alcohol 80 %, Hours of bar service 4 h, Share of drinks that are wine 40 %, and Share of drinks that are beer 35 %, the result is Total alcoholic drinks = 400; Drinks per drinking guest = 5; Wine bottles (750 ml, 5 glasses each) = 32.
Inputs and results
The Event Bar Drinks Calculator takes 5 inputs and gives 7 results.
What you enter
- Guests — starts at 100.
- Guests who drink alcohol (%) — starts at 80.
- Hours of bar service (h) — starts at 4.
- Share of drinks that are wine (%) — starts at 40.
- Share of drinks that are beer (%) — starts at 35.
What you get
- Total alcoholic drinks
- Drinks per drinking guest
- Wine bottles (750 ml, 5 glasses each)
- Beer bottles or cans
- Cases of beer (24 per case)
- Liquor bottles (750 ml, about 17 drinks each)
- Ice to buy (lb, about 1 lb per guest)
Example: Event Bar Drinks Calculator with the starting values
With guests 100, guests who drink alcohol 80 %, hours of bar service 4 h, share of drinks that are wine 40 % and share of drinks that are beer 35 %, the calculator returns:
| Total alcoholic drinks | 400 |
|---|---|
| Drinks per drinking guest | 5 |
| Wine bottles (750 ml, 5 glasses each) | 32 |
| Beer bottles or cans | 140 |
| Cases of beer (24 per case) | 6 |
| Liquor bottles (750 ml, about 17 drinks each) | 6 |
| Ice to buy (lb, about 1 lb per guest) | 100 |
Change any value above and the results update straight away.
Event Bar Drinks Calculator FAQ
How do I use the Event Bar Drinks Calculator?
Enter guests, guests who drink alcohol, hours of bar service and share of drinks that are wine in the fields, then read total alcoholic drinks, drinks per drinking guest, wine bottles (750 ml, 5 glasses each) and beer bottles or cans in the result panel. The answer updates as you type, and you can press Calculate or Enter to refresh it. Use “Copy link” to share your exact numbers with someone else.
What does the Event Bar Drinks Calculator calculate?
Wine, beer, and liquor bottles for a party, wedding, or reception. It returns total alcoholic drinks, drinks per drinking guest, wine bottles (750 ml, 5 glasses each) and beer bottles or cans from the 5 values you provide.
What values does the Event Bar Drinks Calculator start with?
It opens with guests 100, guests who drink alcohol 80 %, hours of bar service 4 h and share of drinks that are wine 40 % so you can see a working result straight away. Replace them with your own numbers, or press Reset to return to these starting values.
Is the Event Bar Drinks Calculator free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent to or stored on our servers. See the Privacy Policy for details.
Can I rely on the Event Bar Drinks Calculator for important decisions?
Treat the result as a well-rounded estimate. Real situations often have details a general calculator cannot know, so confirm important decisions with a qualified professional. See the Disclaimer for more.