Start with total drinks
Guests drink faster early and taper off. Two drinks in the first hour, then roughly one an hour after that, is close enough for planning and errs slightly high — which is the right direction to err, because running out is worse than having leftovers that keep.
| Guests | 2 hours | 4 hours | 6 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 60 drinks | 100 drinks | 140 drinks |
| 50 | 150 drinks | 250 drinks | 350 drinks |
| 100 | 300 drinks | 500 drinks | 700 drinks |
Turning drinks into bottles
- A 750ml bottle of spirits pours about 16 standard drinks.
- A 1.75L handle pours about 39.
- A 750ml bottle of wine is about 5 glasses.
- A case of beer is 24 drinks. A 30-pack is 30.
A common split for a mixed crowd is half beer and seltzer, a third liquor, and the rest wine. Adjust toward beer for a summer cookout and toward liquor for a night party.
Worked example: 50 guests, 4 hours
- Total: about 250 drinks.
- Beer and seltzer, half: 125 drinks, so five 24-packs plus a 30-pack.
- Liquor, a third: about 83 drinks, so two 1.75L handles plus a 750ml.
- Wine, the rest: about 42 glasses, so eight or nine bottles.
- Mixers: roughly one 2-litre per bottle of spirits, plus ice.
What people run out of first
- Ice. Buy about a pound per guest and then buy more.
- Mixers and limes, especially if anyone is making micheladas.
- Cups. Nobody has ever regretted an extra sleeve.
- Non-alcoholic options. Plan two drinks per guest for people not drinking.
Doing a big order? Call (708) 597-8888 a day ahead and we will get it together and have it ready at the counter.
Quick answers
- How much alcohol do I need for 50 people?
- For a four-hour party with 50 guests, plan on about 250 drinks. A common split is roughly 125 beers or seltzers, two 1.75L handles of spirits plus a 750ml bottle, and eight to nine bottles of wine.
- How many drinks are in a 1.75L handle?
- A 1.75L handle of spirits pours about 39 standard 1.5oz drinks. A 750ml bottle pours about 16.
- How much ice do I need for a party?
- Plan on about one pound of ice per guest, and more in summer or if you are chilling bottles as well as filling glasses.