Numbers How much alcohol by guest count
How much alcohol for a 170 person wedding
From the guest list to the shopping list: one hundred and seventy people, one hundred and forty-seven drinkers, a five-hour bar, then bottles and cases.
The short answer
For 170 guests count 147 drinkers (9 under 21, 14 who do not drink). Over a five-hour reception that is 970 drinks: two in the first hour, one each hour after, plus 10 percent. A full bar is about 9 cases of wine, 13 cases of beer and 13 bottles of spirits. Beer and wine only is 10 cases of wine and 17 of beer.
With one hundred and seventy people, buying by the case is the only way the list stays tidy. 147 drinkers over five hours is a lot of bottles if you round each line up separately, which the lists below do on purpose. Everyone still needs water and soft drinks, so 170 matters for those even when they do not drink.
The arithmetic for 170 guests
The pace is from Caterboss: two drinks per drinker in the first hour, then one an hour after. A 750 ml bottle pours 5 glasses of wine or 16 shots of spirits, from the NIAAA standard drink (5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of spirits). A case of beer is 24.
- Drinkers: 170 − 9 − 14 = 147
- Hours the bar is open: 5 (cocktail hour through last call)
- Drinks each: 2 + 4 × 1 = 6
- Subtotal: 147 × 6 = 882
- Plus 10 percent: 970 drinks
Change the drinker count or the hours if your crowd is a daytime lunch, an older family side, or a late party. The table below does the hours for you.
| Hours | Drinks each | Total with buffer | Full bar to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 809 | 7 cases wine, 11 cases beer, 11 bottles spirits |
| 5 | 6 | 970 | 9 cases wine, 13 cases beer, 13 bottles spirits |
| 6 | 7 | 1132 | 10 cases wine, 15 cases beer, 15 bottles spirits |
Shopping lists
Full bar, with 50 percent wine, 30 percent beer and 20 percent spirits:
| What | Drinks | To buy |
|---|---|---|
| Wine | 485 | 97 bottles, 9 cases |
| Beer | 291 | 13 cases |
| Spirits, 750 ml | 194 | 13 bottles |
Beer and wine only, 60 percent wine and 40 percent beer:
| What | Drinks | To buy |
|---|---|---|
| Wine | 582 | 117 bottles, 10 cases |
| Beer | 388 | 17 cases |
Rounding up to whole cases is deliberate. Running out at 9 pm costs more than a few spare bottles. Ask whether the shop takes back unopened bottles; rules differ by state.
The toast is extra
At a 3-ounce toast pour, a bottle fills 8 glasses. For 147 drinkers that is 19 bottles of sparkling wine, on top of the 970. Or skip it and let guests raise whatever is in their glass.
A venue bar package at Zola's average of about $47 a guest would be $7,990 for 170 people. Buying the bottles yourselves is cheaper per bottle only after bartenders, glasses, ice, mixers, corkage and insurance are added. Check first that the venue allows outside alcohol.
The method, with sources, is in how much alcohol you need. Drinks sit next to food in the budget for this guest count.
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Questions
How much alcohol for 170 wedding guests?
About 970 drinks for 147 drinkers over five hours. A full bar is 9 cases of wine, 13 of beer and 13 bottles of spirits.
How many bottles of wine for 170 guests?
97 bottles (9 cases) if wine is half of a full bar. 117 bottles (10 cases) if you serve only beer and wine and wine is 60 percent.
How many drinks per person?
Two in the first hour and one each hour after, for each guest who drinks. Over five hours that is 6, then 10 percent on the total.
How much champagne for a toast at a 170 person wedding?
19 bottles, at 8 glasses of 3 ounces each, counted on the drinkers. It is not part of the 970.
Is it cheaper to buy your own alcohol?
Per bottle, usually. In total, only when staff, glassware, ice, mixers, corkage and insurance still come in under the venue's package of about $7,990 for 170 guests.
Sources
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: what is a standard drink?, for 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer and 1.5 ounces of spirits.
- Caterboss: how much to cater per person, for two drinks in the first hour, one each hour after, and the 10 percent buffer.
- Zola: average cost of a wedding, for bar service at $5,542, about $47 a guest.
- Drinker counts assume 9 guests under 21 and 14 who do not drink, a working split by wedding size, not a survey. Swap in your own numbers.