How to Stock Your Bar With a Wedding Drink Calculator
Let's be honest: doing the math for a wedding bar can feel like a nightmare. You don't want your guests staring at an empty bar two hours into the reception, but you also don't want to blow your entire budget on cases of wine that no one drinks.
That's exactly why we ditched the complicated spreadsheets and built this visual wedding drink calculator. Just punch in your guest count and let us handle the heavy lifting.
The "One Drink" Rule
Bartenders and wedding planners rely on a very simple formula: expect each guest to have one drink per hour. While your college buddies might throw back three beers an hour, your grandparents might nurse a single glass of wine all night. It all averages out. Our wedding drink calculator uses this golden rule as a baseline, but gives you the power to bump the numbers up or down depending on your crowd.
Pro-Tips for a Better Bar
- Keep Signature Cocktails Simple: Limit yourself to two signature drinks. If your bartenders are muddling fresh mint and shaking egg whites for every order, the line will stretch out the door.
- Know Your Crowd: The standard open bar splits the alcohol 40% wine, 30% liquor, and 30% beer. If you know your friends are craft beer snobs, buy extra kegs and skip the top-shelf tequila.
- Think About the Weather: Having a daytime summer wedding? Expect to burn through white wine and light beer. Hosting a winter evening reception? Stock up on heavy reds and whiskey.
Wedding Drink Calculator FAQs
How does a wedding drink calculator work?
A wedding drink calculator uses your guest count, the duration of your reception, and the drinking habits of your crowd to generate an exact shopping list of beer, wine, and liquor.
Do I really need a wedding drink calculator?
Yes! Using a wedding drink calculator prevents you from running out of alcohol early in the night, and stops you from overspending hundreds of dollars on excess bottles you don't need.
How many drinks are in a standard bottle of wine?
When using a wedding drink calculator, assume a standard 750ml wine bottle gets you exactly 5 glasses (using a standard 5 oz pour).
How many drinks are in a bottle of liquor?
A standard 750ml bottle of spirits (vodka, whiskey, gin) yields about 16 drinks (using a standard 1.5 oz pour).
How many glasses do you get from a bottle of champagne?
Champagne flutes use smaller pours. Expect to get 6 glasses out of every bottle for your wedding toasts.
How many beers are in a case?
A standard case of beer holds exactly 24 bottles or cans.