Count only guests who'll drink alcohol. A third of adults often won't — see the non-alcoholic guide.
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How this calculator works
It uses the rule nearly every caterer and event bartender plans with: 2 drinks in hour one, 1 per hour after. For a 4-hour party that's 5 drinks per drinking guest — not because everyone drinks 5, but because the light drinkers and the enthusiastic ones average out there. The mix you choose splits those servings across beer (12 oz / 355 ml serves), wine (five 150 ml glasses per 750 ml bottle) and spirits (about 17 shots of 44 ml per 750 ml bottle, each mixed drink using one shot plus 120 ml of mixer).
Everything rounds up to whole cases, bottles and bags. Unopened bottles keep; a dry bar at 9pm doesn't. For the full worked math, see how much alcohol for a party, or the wedding version if there's a toast and dinner service involved.
How much alcohol do I need for 50 guests for 4 hours?
50 drinking guests × 5 drinks each = 250 servings. With a beer/wine/spirits split of 40/30/30 that's 100 beers (about 4 cases plus a 6-pack), 15 bottles of wine, and 5 bottles of spirits with about 9 litres of mixers.
Is it cheaper to serve only beer and wine?
Usually, yes — and it's also simpler to serve. Spirits themselves aren't expensive per serving, but they pull in mixers, more ice, more glassware and slower service. See party drinks on a budget for cost-per-serving numbers.
What if some guests don't drink?
Only enter the guests who drink alcohol, then budget 2–3 non-alcoholic servings for every guest (drinkers included — most people alternate). The non-alcoholic quantities guide has the numbers.