Party Drinks Calculator

Planning a party, wedding or big gathering? Work out how much to buy — wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks — from your guest count, party length and how heavily the crowd tends to drink. You'll get bottle and can counts. Updates as you type.

How it works

• Total drinks = drinkers × hours × drinks-per-hour (Average = 1/hour).
• Wine: 5 glasses per 750ml bottle. Beer: 1 can/bottle per beer drink.
• Spirits: ~16 single shots (25ml) per 700ml bottle; mixers added alongside.
• Soft drinks: planned for everyone (≈ 2 per guest) plus extra for non-drinkers — better to over-cater.

FAQ

How much alcohol do I need for a party?

A common rule is about one drink per guest per hour, slightly more in the first hour. So 20 guests over 4 hours is roughly 80 drinks. Split by preference (often ~50% wine, 30% beer, 20% spirits for a mixed crowd) and convert to bottles and cans — which this calculator does.

How many drinks are in a bottle of wine?

A 750ml bottle holds about 5 glasses, so a case of 6 serves ~30 glasses. For a sparkling toast, count ~6 smaller pours per bottle. This tool uses 5 glasses per bottle.

How much should I plan for non-drinkers and soft drinks?

Generously. Designated drivers, non-drinkers, children and people pacing themselves all need soft drinks, and guests drink more water and soft drinks than hosts expect — especially when it's warm. Assume everyone has one or two, plus extra water.

Is it better to buy too much or too little?

Slightly too much — many shops take back unopened bottles, leftovers keep, and running out mid-party is a real problem. For weddings and big events, buy on a sale-or-return basis where you can.

Planning a wedding? See our wedding planning checklist, split the tab with the bill split calculator, scale recipes with the cooking conversion calculator, or browse all free tools.