Assume each guest will consume one drink per hour or about five drinks throughout the evening. Some guests will drink less, of course, but others may be a little thirstier. Generally, people tend to consume more earlier in the event but slow down later on, so the drinks per guest per hour are higher for an event under three hours.
Signature cocktails surprisingly keep costs down. And don’t offer too much variety when it comes to spirits. To satisfy the majority of guests, choose good quality mid-priced brands over bottom-shelf or top-shelf spirits. And if you are serving hard liquor at your wedding, limiting the selection will help ensure guests won’t overindulge.
When choosing types of wine, work with your caterer and bartender to select wines that go well with the food menu, as well as varietals to serve at the bar. If you’d like to add rosé and sparkling wine to your bar service, you can substitute these for some of the white wine bottles as they have a similar flavor profile.
Mocktails?
Are your guests wine enthusiasts, beer drinkers or cocktail lovers? You can adjust the ratio of bottles of beer, wine and spirits to better suit your crowd.
Kegs? Beer keg (5 gallons) = 53 glasses (12 oz each)
- What’s your guest count?
- How many hours will your reception last?
- Are your guests light, average or heavy drinkers?
- Will you have a champagne toast?
- How many signature cocktails would you like to offer?
- What type of alcohol? Note: These days, the recommended mix is 50% liquor, 25% beer and 25% wine. Typically it’s a 50/50 split of red and white wine.
How Much Alcohol for 150 Guests
- How much champagne for 150 guests: 25 bottles (750 ml each)
- How much wine for 150 guests: 15 bottles of red wine, 12 bottles of white wine, 3 bottles of specialty wine (rosé, orange, etc.) (750 ml each)
- How much liquor for 150 guests: 16 bottles (1 liter each)
- How much beer for 150 guests: 150 cans or bottles
Doesn’t include mixers and sodas.