Party Planning Checklist: Drink Quantities & Bar Planning Tips

Here's a guide on what you'll need when you're having a party

Wine

A standard 750mL bottle of wine serves 5 glasses. We recommend 750ml bottles of wine over boxed wine. Since a box of wine is equal to 4 bottles, there is more potential for waste once that box has been opened. Try to provide a variety, two whites and two reds will suffice, as will 1 of each if they are not big wine drinkers.

White. The standard is usually a dry white (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc) and a sweeter white (Riesling or Moscato). Rose (also a dry white wine) is also a good choice for summer events. If choosing only 1 white wine option, Pinot Grigio is a safe bet.

Red. Generally, having a dry, full-bodied red is standard (Red blend, Cabernet, Merlot etc.) and an optional lighter red (Pinot Noir). If choosing only 1 red wine option, red blend or Pinot Noir are usually safe bets. We do also have several sweet red wines if you would like that option. At 5 glasses a bottle (750ml), we suggest less than a quarter of your beverages be made up of wine, or around 100-120 total servings of wine (20-24 total bottles). For winter events the ratio of red: white should be about equal, while summer events usually call for more white wine.

Wine consumption has decreased recently, and some parties will omit it completely or provide a much smaller quantity than the above numbers. If your wine quantity is significantly reduced, then add some volume into either beer/seltzers or liquor depending on your preferences.

Champagne / Sparkling Wine. There are 5 full servings of sparkling wine per bottle, and about 8 toasting portions per bottle. For 100 guests, 1 full case

(12 bottles) is the perfect amount for 96 guests to have a small (3 oz.) toasting portion.

Beer / Seltzers

Beer typically comes in 12 oz cans at 24 per case, though some come in 30 packs. If you have a crowd that likes beer then you may wish to provide between 2-2.5 beers per person if you are also serving wine and liquor. With 100 guests you will need approximately 200-250 beers, or 8-10 cases. We generally recommend cans over glass bottles for large events. Some venues prohibit glass, and the cost for glass bottles is usually a bit higher as well. If serving beers and wine only then you should have closer to 3-3.5 beers per guest.

Consider your crowd and their personal tastes. Some crowds are craft beer drinkers, others prefer more traditional choices. Usually having a standard light beer such as Miller Lite and a small variety of craft beers is sufficient. Try not to offer too many choices, as this will result in over- buying.

Seltzers. If you will be serving Seltzers, we recommend you purchase about 1/3 of your beer quantity, so per 100

guests about 3-4 cases (24-pack). If you decide to omit seltzers, you should add a little more to your beer and/or white

wine quantities to compensate.

Kegs. These are also popular and will serve about 165 12 oz. servings (though smaller kegs are also an option). If you are planning to use kegs make sure you are aware of the extra costs involved (tap rentals, keg deposits, extra delivery fees, purchase of extra cups, ice) as well as the fact that the keg must be always stored cold. Bar service can also be slowed down when using kegs, especially with hand-pumped kegs. We generally advise our wedding clients to stay away from kegs for all the above reasons.

Liquor

There are limitless options of liquor to choose from. It is important to provide variety. Try to provide the fundamentals: Vodka and Whiskey are essential, with Gin, Rum and Tequila as optional additions depending upon your guests’ preferences. From there you can decide on specific brands. Tequila has definitely become more of a staple bar item over the past couple of years, and is usually the 3 rd most popular choice after Vodka and Whiskey.

Mixed drinks are generally very popular at weddings and large parties. For a 100 person crowd you may wish to provide about 260-300 drinks as liquor options. This equated to a total of 16-18 total bottles (750ml) of liquor. We recommend 750ml bottles of liquor unless the liter format is on sale. 1.75 size is often too heavy for bartenders to handle. Additionally, once that 1.75 is opened it cannot be returned, even if only 1 drink is poured from it. For volume purposes, a 1.75 is equal to one 750ml plus one liter. A 750ml will serve 16 cocktails, a liter will serve 22 cocktails, and a 1.75 will serve 39 cocktails when pouring the standard 1.5 oz. pour.

We can also supply other liqueurs and ingredients needed for specialty cocktails. We have several bartenders and party planners on staff who can advise you about the specifics of those quantities and ingredients.

Commonly added full bar items

Triple Sec (for Margaritas and other cocktails), Bitters (for Bourbon Cocktails), Sweet Vermouth (for Whiskey Cocktails),

Liqueurs such as Elderflower, Coffee, Amaretto, Baileys

Mixers

For a standard bar setup, the following mixers are needed: Club Soda, Tonic Water, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Cranberry

Juice, Orange Juice, Bottled Water, lemons, limes.

Optional Additions: Ginger Ale /Ginger Beer, Pineapple Juice, Sour / Margarita Mix, Bloody Mary Mix, Simple Syrup, grenadine, Oranges, Cherries.

Check out our Mixer Selection >

Other Random Things

Make sure you have the following items for your party: Straws, beverage napkins, cups, ICE. The CUP choice we

most often recommend is a 9oz. squat tumbler. These are an excellent size for both wine and cocktails. Beer cups are

rarely needed since MOST will serve beer in cans. If they DO need other larger cups for water / pop / beer then of course

we have them. We also supply beverage napkins and plates in a multitude of colors.

Very often, the venue, caterer or bartending service will provide these paper goods, as well as some of the Mixers listed

above. You may find better pricing on bottled water and pop at Kroger or Costco since they have their own brands, but

we do have those items available here for your convenience.

Ice. As a general rule, you will need about 2 lbs. of ice per guest (if ice is used to chill beer in coolers or tubs). You will

need about 3 lbs. of ice per guest if ice is also used to make cocktails.

For 100 guests this equates to 10-15 bags of ice (20 lb. bags)

Please ask for one of our Party templates in the store or print one from our website. If you would like some more in-depth planning advice, please contact one of our party pros [email: partyplanning@thepartysource.com] and we will happily lend a hand!