Party drink calculator
Guests, hours, and roughly what your crowd drinks. The rule underneath is the one bartenders use: two drinks in the first hour, then one an hour, and a non-alcoholic drink for everyone on top.
Shopping list
Every number above starts with the guest count. Ask for replies by a date and make replying one tap, so the count is the real one.
Get a headcount, freeGuests reply with their name and plus-ones. No account for them, none for you to start.
The rules of thumb behind the numbers
| Rule | Figure |
|---|---|
| Drinks per drinking adult | 2 in the first hour, then 1 per hour |
| Non-alcoholic drinks, everyone | 1 per person per hour (1.5 in warm weather) |
| Wine | 5 glasses per 750 ml bottle |
| Spirits | 16 drinks per 750 ml bottle (45 ml pours), plus 1 mixer bottle per 4 drinks |
| Beer | 1 bottle or can per drink |
| 冰块 | 0.5 kg / 1 lb per guest, doubled if you chill bottles in a tub |
The calculator rounds bottles up and adds 10 percent. Nobody has ever complained about leftover wine.
Questions people ask
- How many drinks per person for a party?
- Plan two drinks per adult in the first hour and one per hour after that. For a four-hour party that is five drinks per drinking adult. Add water and soft drinks for everyone, about one per person per hour, and more in warm weather.
- How many bottles of wine for 20 people?
- A 750 ml bottle pours five glasses. If half of 20 guests drink wine at a four-hour party, that is ten people times five drinks, fifty glasses, ten bottles. Split roughly 60/40 between white and red, more white in summer.
- How much ice do I need for a party?
- About half a kilo, or one pound, per guest for drinks, and double it if you are chilling bottles in a tub. Ice runs out before anything else at most parties, so round up.
- How do I get an accurate guest count for the drinks?
- Send one link and ask for a reply by a date. A free sign-up page lets guests answer with their name and who they are bringing, no account needed, so the headcount you plan drinks around is the real one.