How Many Drinks for a Party?
Quick answer: Plan 2 drinks per guest for the first hour and 1 per hour after — about 80 drinks for 20 guests over 3 hours; a wine bottle pours 5 glasses and a 750 ml spirit bottle about 17 cocktails.
Running out of wine at hour two is the one party mistake everyone remembers. Enter your drinking-age headcount, how long the party runs, and your bar style — we'll turn it into beers, wine bottles and spirits.
Drinks for a 3-hour party (full bar)
| Guests | Total drinks | Beer | Wine | Spirits |
|---|
| 20 people | 80 | 32 beers | 5 bottles | 2 bottles |
| 50 people | 200 | 80 beers | 12 bottles | 4 bottles |
| 100 people | 400 | 160 beers | 24 bottles | 8 bottles |
How it works
Consumption follows a curve: guests drink about two in the first hour and one an hour after that, which the tool totals for your headcount and party length. The total then splits by bar style — beer-and-wine parties run roughly 60/40, a full bar closer to 40/30/30 with cocktails — and converts to shopping units: one beer per serving, five glasses per wine bottle, about 17 pours per 750 ml spirit bottle. Counts round up because a spare bottle is cheap insurance and keeps; an empty bar at 9 pm doesn't.
Frequently asked
How many drinks per person for a party?
The standard catering rule: 2 drinks per guest for the first hour, then 1 per hour after. For a 4-hour wedding reception, that's about 5 drinks per drinking guest.
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
Five 5-oz glasses per standard 750 ml bottle. A case (12 bottles) pours about 60 glasses — an easy unit for bigger parties.
How many drinks does a bottle of liquor make?
A 750 ml bottle holds about 17 standard 1.5-oz pours. Plan roughly 1 liter of mixers (soda, tonic, juice) for every spirit bottle, plus plenty of ice.
How much alcohol do I need for a wedding of 100?
For a 4-hour reception, plan about 500 drinks. On a full-bar split that's roughly 200 beers, 30 bottles of wine (2½ cases) and 9–10 bottles of spirits — shift the mix toward whatever your crowd actually drinks.
What about guests who don't drink?
Count only drinking-age drinkers in the guest number, then add about one soda, sparkling water or mocktail per non-drinker per hour. Batched mocktails make non-drinkers feel hosted rather than tolerated.
How much ice do I need for drinks?
About 1 to 1½ lb per guest for a cocktail party — more in summer or if you're chilling bottles in tubs. It's the cheapest thing on the list, so over-buy.
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