How Much Alcohol Do You Need for a Wedding?

The single most useful rule for stocking a wedding bar is one drink per guest per hour. Guests drink a bit more in the first hour as they arrive and toast, and taper off later, so that average holds up well across a typical reception. Multiply it out, add a small buffer, and split it across beer, wine, and spirits.

Quantities by guest count

These are starting points for a 5-hour reception with a 40% beer / 40% wine / 20% spirits split and a 10% buffer. One case of beer is 24 bottles, one wine bottle pours ~5 glasses, and one 750ml bottle of spirits makes ~16 drinks.

Guests	Total drinks	Beer (cases)	Wine (bottles)	Spirits (bottles)
50	~330	6	27	5
100	~660	11	53	9
150	~990	17	80	13
200	~1,320	22	106	17

Your real number depends on how long the bar is open, how much your crowd drinks, and whether you add a champagne toast. Rather than eyeball it, set your details below and get an exact shopping list:

Guests Hours of open bar

How much does your crowd drink? Light (dinner crowd)AverageHeavy (party crowd) Guests who drink alcohol: 100%

Drink mix

Beer — 40% Wine — 40% Spirits — 20%

Price tier BudgetHouse / mid-rangePremium Buffer: 10%

Add a champagne toast (1 glass per guest) Reset

You'll need about

660 drinks

Estimated cost

$1,301

$13 per guest

Buy	Amount	Covers	Cost
Beer	11 24-pack cases	264 drinks	$308
Wine	53 750ml bottles	264 drinks	$795
Spirits	9 750ml bottles	132 drinks	$198

CSV PDF Print

Estimates use standard serving sizes (1 drink ≈ 12oz beer, 5oz wine, or 1.5oz spirits) and average national prices. Buy where you can return unopened bottles, and check your venue's corkage rules.

Choosing the beer / wine / spirits split

The classic 40/40/20 split fits most weddings. Adjust it to your crowd:

• Relaxed, dinner-focused crowd → lean toward wine and beer (e.g. 40/45/15).
• Party crowd or a signature cocktail → give spirits more room (e.g. 30/35/35).
• Afternoon or brunch wedding → more sparkling and lighter drinks, fewer spirits.

A few things people forget

• Ice — roughly 1–1.5 lbs per guest once you factor in chilling and drinks.
• Mixers, garnishes, and glassware or cups for any spirits and cocktails.
• A champagne toast needs about one bottle per six guests.
• Returns — buy where you can return unopened bottles, and keep the receipt.
• Corkage and licensing — confirm your venue allows you to supply your own alcohol first.

Once the bar is sorted, the wedding catering calculator and cake calculator cover the food side of the same guest count.