Party drink calculator: how much alcohol to buy
Plan on 2 drinks per drinking guest in the first hour and 1 per hour after that, then add 10%. For 40 guests over 4 hours that is about 200 drinks: roughly 88 beers, 14 bottles of wine and 4 bottles of spirits for a mixed crowd. Use the calculator below for your own numbers.
The rule of thumb
Party planners use one simple rule: 2 drinks per drinking guest in the first hour, then 1 per hour after that. Split the total across beer, wine and spirits by what your crowd drinks, then add 10% so you do not run out halfway.
| One drink is | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| A beer | 330 ml can or bottle | 12 oz can or bottle |
| A glass of wine | 150 ml, 5 per 750 ml bottle | 5 oz, 5 per bottle |
| A spirit and mixer | 44 ml measure plus 120 ml mixer, about 17 per 750 ml bottle | 1.5 oz plus 4 oz mixer, about 17 per fifth |
UK bottles of spirits are usually 70 cl, which holds a little less: about 15 or 16 drinks.
How much alcohol for 20, 40 or 100 guests
For a 4 hour party where everyone drinks a bit of everything (40% beer, 30% wine, 30% spirits):
| Guests | Beer | Wine | Spirits | Mixers (2 L) | Water | Ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 22 | 4 bottles | 1 bottle | 1 | 10 L (3 gal) | 5 kg (10 lb) |
| 20 | 44 | 7 bottles | 2 bottles | 2 | 20 L (6 gal) | 10 kg (20 lb) |
| 30 | 66 | 10 bottles | 3 bottles | 3 | 30 L (8 gal) | 15 kg (30 lb) |
| 40 | 88 | 14 bottles | 4 bottles | 4 | 40 L (11 gal) | 20 kg (40 lb) |
| 50 | 111 | 17 bottles | 5 bottles | 5 | 50 L (14 gal) | 25 kg (50 lb) |
| 100 | 221 | 33 bottles | 10 bottles | 10 | 100 L (27 gal) | 50 kg (100 lb) |
Mostly a beer crowd? Here are the same guest numbers when 70% of the drinks are beer:
| Guests | Beer | Wine | Spirits | Mixers (2 L) | Water | Ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 39 | 3 bottles | 1 bottle | 1 | 10 L (3 gal) | 5 kg (10 lb) |
| 20 | 77 | 5 bottles | 1 bottle | 1 | 20 L (6 gal) | 10 kg (20 lb) |
| 30 | 116 | 7 bottles | 1 bottle | 1 | 30 L (8 gal) | 15 kg (30 lb) |
| 40 | 154 | 9 bottles | 2 bottles | 2 | 40 L (11 gal) | 20 kg (40 lb) |
| 50 | 193 | 12 bottles | 2 bottles | 2 | 50 L (14 gal) | 25 kg (50 lb) |
| 100 | 386 | 23 bottles | 4 bottles | 4 | 100 L (27 gal) | 50 kg (100 lb) |
Do not forget the rest
- Water: one glass per guest per hour, for everyone. Put it where people can see it, not just in the kitchen.
- Soft drinks: about one glass per hour for each guest who is not drinking alcohol. Set the calculator to the share of guests who drink, and it adds them.
- Ice: about half a kilo (1 lb) per guest, more on a hot day or with lots of cocktails.
- Food: people drink more slowly when they eat. Something salty and something filling goes a long way.
Buying tips
- Buy sealed and keep the receipt. Many shops take unopened bottles and cases back.
- Ask guests to bring one thing. If they do, take 20 to 30% off the beer and wine.
- Start with the cold stuff. Chill beer and white wine the day before; ice is for the drinks, not the fridge.
- The 10% buffer is for running low, not for more rounds. If it goes unused, it keeps for the next party.
If you are playing a drinking game
Plan for the same amounts and play with sips, not full drinks; the game is the fun part, not the volume. Anyone can sit out a round or swap to a soft drink, and the water should be on the table, not in the kitchen. More on our responsible drinking page.
Wrecked runs the game on one phone for 2 to 16 players: it reads the cards, picks who drinks and keeps count, so the host gets to play too.
Need a game for a bigger crowd? See drinking games for large groups, spin our drink roulette wheel, or print a set of drinking game cards.
Questions people ask
How much alcohol do I need for 40 guests?
For 40 guests over 4 hours, plan on about 200 drinks. With a mixed crowd, that is roughly 88 beers, 14 bottles of wine and 4 bottles of spirits with 4 large bottles of mixer, including a 10% buffer. Add 40 litres of water and 20 kg of ice.
How much alcohol do I need for 100 guests?
For 100 guests over 4 hours, plan on about 500 drinks: roughly 221 beers, 33 bottles of wine and 10 bottles of spirits with 10 large bottles of mixer, including a 10% buffer. Add 100 litres of water and 50 kg of ice.
How many drinks per person should I plan for a party?
The usual rule is 2 drinks per drinking guest in the first hour and 1 per hour after that. A 4 hour party is 5 drinks per drinking guest, before the buffer. It is an amount to have available, not a target.
How many glasses of wine are in a bottle?
A standard 750 ml bottle pours 5 glasses of 150 ml (5 oz).
How many drinks are in a bottle of spirits?
A 750 ml bottle holds about 17 measures of 44 ml (1.5 oz). A 70 cl bottle, the usual size in the UK, holds about 15 or 16.
Who's gettingwrecked tonight?
Wrecked turns all of this into one game on one phone: 1,800+ cards, rules that stack, chaos every 5 cards and a personal roast for everyone at the end.
