Wedding Bar Quantity Calculator
Figure out exactly how much beer, wine, and spirits to buy for your wedding bar. Enter your guest count, reception length, and drink style.
Total drinks needed
600
Beer
210
bottles
≈ 9 cases
Wine
54
750ml bottles
≈ 5 cases
Spirits
8
750ml bottles
+ ~8L mixers
Add ~10% buffer for popular drinks. Ask your retailer about returning unopened bottles — many will refund or exchange, saving you from over-ordering fears.
How the math works
Wedding bar quantities come down to four numbers: guest count, reception length, drinks per person per hour, and the ratio of beer, wine, and spirits you expect to be consumed. The standard assumption is one drink per guest per hour for moderate drinking — we use 1.2 as a safer default. Light crowds average 0.8 drinks per hour, heavy crowds closer to 1.6.
From the total drink count we convert into units using standard serving sizes:
- Beer: 1 drink = 1 bottle (12oz); 24 bottles per case.
- Wine: 1 bottle (750ml) pours 5 standard glasses; 12 bottles per case.
- Spirits: 1 bottle (750ml) makes about 16 cocktails at 1.5oz per pour.
- Mixers: budget roughly 1 liter of mixer per bottle of spirit.
Example: for 100 guests at a 5-hour moderate reception with a 35/45/20 split, the math produces 600 total drinks — around 210 beers (9 cases), 54 bottles of wine (5 cases), and 8 bottles of spirits with 8 liters of mixer. Add a 10% buffer on top for popular drinks.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do you need for a wedding with 100 guests?
For 100 guests at a 5-hour reception with moderate drinking, plan for about 600 drinks total. With a 35/45/20 beer/wine/spirits split, that means roughly 210 beers (9 cases), 270 glasses of wine (54 bottles or 5 cases), and 120 cocktails (8 spirit bottles). Add a 10% buffer for popular drinks.
How many bottles of wine do I need per guest?
The standard wine math is 5 glasses per 750ml bottle. For a 4–5 hour reception where wine is the preferred drink, plan for roughly half a bottle per guest who drinks wine. For 100 wine-drinking guests, that works out to 50–60 bottles, or about 5 cases.
What is the ideal beer/wine/spirits ratio for a wedding?
The classic wedding bar split is 35% beer, 45% wine, and 20% spirits. Adjust based on your crowd — a younger, more cocktail-forward crowd might shift to 25/35/40, while a traditional dinner-focused reception might weight more heavily toward wine at 20/60/20.
How do you calculate drinks per guest per hour?
The standard formula is 1 drink per guest per hour for the first hour, then 1 drink per guest per hour for the rest of the reception. For a 5-hour reception that is roughly 5 drinks per guest, though moderate drinkers average 1.2/hour and heavy drinkers closer to 1.6/hour.
Can I return unopened alcohol after the wedding?
Often yes. Many liquor retailers offer buy-back or refund policies on unopened, full-case alcohol, especially if you buy from a large store and agreed to this in advance. Ask before you order — a return policy lets you over-order safely without worrying about waste.