Bottles of liquor and wine, cases of beer, toast, mixers and ice for your guest count
Updated October 2026
Drinks per guest = 2 for the first hour + 1 for each hour after (Spec’s formula), or 1 per hour (The Knot’s rule). Total drinks = drinking guests × drinks per guest, split by your liquor, beer and wine shares. Then: liquor bottles = liquor drinks ÷ 16 per 750 ml; beer cases = beer servings ÷ 24; wine bottles = glasses ÷ 5; toast bottles = guests ÷ 6; mixers = guests ÷ 3 liters; ice = 1.5 to 2 lb per guest. Everything rounds up.
Worked example: 100 guests for 5 hours drink 2 + 4 = 6 each, 600 drinks. Half is liquor, 300 drinks ÷ 16 = 18.75, so 19 bottles. A quarter is beer, 150 ÷ 24 = 6.25, so 7 cases. A quarter is wine, 150 ÷ 5 = 30 bottles. The toast is 100 ÷ 6 = 16.7, so 17 bottles, and mixers 100 ÷ 3 = 33.3, so 34 liters.
| Container | Servings (about) |
|---|---|
| Wine, 750 ml | 5 glasses |
| Champagne or sparkling, 750 ml | 6 flutes |
| Liquor, 750 ml | 16 drinks (1.5 oz each) |
| Liquor, 1 liter | 22 drinks |
| Liquor, 1.75 liter | 34 drinks |
| Beer, case of 24 | 24 servings |
The pour sizes match the U.S. standard drink, which NIAAA defines as 14 grams of pure alcohol: 12 ounces of 5% beer, 5 ounces of 12% wine or 1.5 ounces of 40% spirits. A 750 ml bottle holds 25.4 ounces, five 5-ounce glasses of wine or sixteen 1.5-ounce pours. Spec’s chart lists about 34 drinks in a 1.75 liter bottle, fewer than the 39 that 59.2 ounces ÷ 1.5 gives, which leaves a margin for generous pours.
Choosing the pour. The pour-size option changes drinks per liquor bottle. The default is Spec’s party chart, because it is a retailer’s buying guide that builds in spillage and generous pours, so it errs toward having enough; for 750 ml and 1 liter bottles it matches whole 1.5-ounce pours anyway. Choose 1.5 oz to count exact NIAAA standard drinks (39 per 1.75 liter, so 300 liquor drinks need 8 large bottles instead of 9), or 2 oz if your bartenders pour heavier (12 per 750 ml, so the default wedding needs 25 bottles instead of 19).
| Reception | Drinks | Liquor (750 ml) | Beer (cases) | Wine (bottles) | Toast (bottles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 guests, 4 hours, first-hour pace, full bar | 250 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 9 |
| 100 guests, 5 hours, first-hour pace (default) | 600 | 19 | 7 | 30 | 17 |
| 100 guests, 5 hours, one drink an hour | 500 | 16 | 6 | 25 | 17 |
| 150 guests, 6 hours, beer and wine only (50/50) | 1,050 | 0 | 22 | 105 | 25 |
| 200 guests, 4 hours, first-hour pace, full bar | 1,000 | 32 | 11 | 50 | 34 |
The pace rule matters: at one drink an hour the same 100-guest, 5-hour wedding needs 500 drinks instead of 600. Dropping liquor shifts the whole order into wine and beer.
Counting every guest. Children, non-drinkers and guests who leave early should not be in the drinking-guest number.
Forgetting the toast is separate. Champagne for the toast is on top of the bar’s wine unless you skip the toast.
Ignoring the venue’s rules. Check whether outside alcohol is allowed, whether unopened bottles can be returned to the store, and what bartender and corkage fees apply.
Mixing up the mix. The three shares should add to 100%; if they do not, the calculator scales them to their total.
Have water and nonalcoholic options at the bar, serve food throughout, and arrange rides or shuttles so no one drives after drinking. Many venues require licensed bartenders, who also help pace service.