How to Calculate Beverage Quantities

Whether you're planning a cocktail party to celebrate your engagement or about to dive into all the details of your wedding reception, organizing the beverages is a vital component of a successful event.

The Standard Bar by Guest Count

To please the majority of your guests at the reception, whoever they are, you'll need to keep things interesting — a wine-only selection may not satisfy the whole group. Given a choice, your wedding guests are likely to ask for a variety of beverages, from mixed drinks and wine to beer and non-alcoholic options. You don't have to offer every obscure aperitif and rare port, but if you stock the most-requested types of liquor and mixes, you'll be sure to make everyone happy.

Note: You'll have to make a few adjustments to your standard-bar results based on the audience you expect to host. What are your guests' tendencies - do you think they'll fancy trendy cocktails primarily or will there be a run on a fashionable pinot? Modify your beverage estimates according to what you know about your guest list and other conditions like the season and the time of day.

Err on the side of ordering too much. You can always use any quantities left over from your wedding reception on other occasions. And if you're ordering for an unusually large number of guests, ask your caterer or wedding coordinator for assistance. Often, unopened bottles can be returned.

To stock a standard bar, you'll want the following quantities for every 20 guests:

Buying Wine by Guest Count

Now, how much wine should you buy for the group you're hosting?

You know your friends and family better than we do, so adjust our guidelines as you see fit. Our goal is to give you a rough idea of how much wine you'll need, assuming that:

• each guest is drinking one glass per hour

• each 750 mL bottle yields five glasses
• white and red wine are approximately even in popularity

The rule of thumb to use is 1 bottle of red and 1 bottle of white for every ten guests each hour.

So, if you have 100 guests, and you expect the reception to last two hours, you'll need 20 bottles of red and 20 bottles of white.