Estimate how much wine, beer, and spirits to buy for your event using standard drinking assumptions. This is a starting point, not an exact calculation—adjust based on your guests' preferences and event context.
Last updated: March 2026
The standard estimate is 2 drinks in the first hour of a party, then 1 drink per hour after that. This accounts for the typical pace of social drinking at celebrations. However, actual consumption varies significantly based on the type of event, time of day, and guest demographics.
Party intensity adjusts this baseline: light events (like afternoon brunches or dinner parties) see 25% less drinking, while heavy events (college parties, bachelor parties, all-day events) see 50% more. Always round up when calculating—running out of alcohol is worse than having a few extra bottles you can refrigerate for next time.
A standard 750ml bottle of wine provides 5 glasses (5 oz per glass). A 750ml bottle of spirits provides roughly 16-18 mixed drinks (using a 1.5oz pour). Always round up to ensure you don't run dry!
One standard drink is 12oz of beer (5% ABV), 5oz of wine (12% ABV), or 1.5oz of spirits (40% ABV). This calculator assumes a 50/30/20 wine/beer/spirits split and these standard portions. Real parties vary widely—adjust quantities if your guests prefer different drink types.
Scenario: 4-hour birthday party with 40 adults, moderate drinking intensity
Shop with a 10% buffer to ensure you don't run short.
Not directly. Use the full guest count for baseline calculation, then reduce by roughly the percentage of non-drinkers (or non-alcohol drinkers). Always provide water, soft drinks, and juice for non-drinkers.
Adjust the 50/30/20 breakdown. If 70% prefer wine, 20% beer, 10% spirits, use those percentages instead. The calculator provides a default mix—customize based on your crowd.
Run out of nothing. Having 1-2 extra bottles (especially wine and beer) is fine—they keep well. Running out is a party disaster. Always round up when uncertain, especially for spirits.
Afternoon events (brunch, happy hour) see less drinking. Evening events see more. Adjust intensity: light for afternoon; moderate-to-heavy for evening. All-day events need significant quantities.
Self-serve parties see more consumption (people help themselves). Bartender-controlled events see less (portions are managed). Use heavy intensity for self-serve, reduce by 10-15% for bartended service.
Summer outdoor events = higher consumption (heat increases drinking). Winter indoor events = moderate. RTD (ready-to-drink) beverages are popular in summer. Adjust intensity accordingly.
Not directly, but you can calculate soft drink quantities similarly: 2 sodas in hour 1, then 1 per hour. For family-friendly events, increase non-alc quantities significantly and assume water/juice as primaries.
Unopened wine keeps months-to-years (store properly). Beer keeps 3-6 months if refrigerated. Spirits keep indefinitely unopened. Opened bottles: wine keeps 3-5 days; beer goes flat in days; spirits keep longer. Leftover wine makes great sangria!