Wedding Alcohol Calculator
Figuring out how much alcohol to buy for a wedding is one of those tasks that feels like guesswork. This calculator takes the uncertainty out of it by estimating beer, wine, and liquor quantities based on your guest count, event duration, and crowd preferences.
The standard industry rule of thumb is one drink per guest per hour, but that is just an average. The first hour (usually cocktail hour) tends to be heavier, and consumption drops off as the night goes on. This calculator adjusts for that pattern.
What counts as one drink:
- 1 beer (12 oz)
- 1 glass of wine (5 oz)
- 1 cocktail (1.5 oz of liquor)
Bottles math:
- 1 wine bottle (750 mL) = 5 glasses
- 1 liquor bottle (750 mL) = about 17 standard cocktails
- 1 champagne bottle = 6 flutes
- 1 beer case = 24 bottles/cans
Tips for getting the quantities right:
Adjust for your crowd. A Sunday brunch wedding will drink less than a Saturday night barn party. Older guests tend to drink less than younger crowds. If many guests are family with kids, bump up the non-drinker percentage.
Seasonal adjustments. Summer weddings tend to see more beer consumption. Winter weddings skew toward wine and cocktails.
The toast. Champagne toasts are traditional but not required. If you include one, plan for one flute per guest (even non-drinkers often participate). You can skip this entirely if budget is tight.
Buffer stock. This calculator adds a 10% buffer to all quantities. Better to have a few extra bottles than to run out at 9 PM.
Return policies. Many liquor stores allow returns on unopened, undamaged bottles purchased for events. Ask before you buy and keep your receipt.
Hire a bartender. Professional bartenders control pour sizes, which actually saves alcohol. Self-serve bars burn through liquor much faster.