Two in the first hour, one an hour after
The rule caterers and bartenders use: each guest has two drinks in the first hour and one in every hour after. A four-hour party is five drinks a head.
Rounds splits that between beer, wine and spirits, then turns drinks into things you can buy: 12-packs, bottles, 2-litre mixers and bags of ice. Tap each row at the shop to tick it off.
| Guests, 4 hours | Drinks | Beer | Wine | Spirits | Ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 50 | 20 | 3 btl | 1 btl | 2 × 10 lb |
| 20 | 100 | 40 | 6 btl | 2 btl | 3 × 10 lb |
| 30 | 150 | 60 | 9 btl | 3 btl | 5 × 10 lb |
| 50 | 250 | 100 | 15 btl | 5 btl | 8 × 10 lb |
| 100 | 500 | 200 | 30 btl | 10 btl | 15 × 10 lb |
Questions
How many drinks per guest at a party?
Plan on two drinks per guest in the first hour and one in every hour after that. A four-hour party is five drinks a head, so 30 guests drink about 150. Count only the guests who drink; the rest get soft drinks at the same pace.
How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?
Five. A standard 750 ml bottle pours five 5 oz (150 ml) glasses. A dinner party of 8 over three hours drinks about 32 glasses if everyone is on wine, so 7 bottles.
How many drinks are in a bottle of spirits?
About 16 from a 750 ml bottle at 1.5 oz a drink, or 15 from a 70 cl bottle at a 44 ml double-ish measure. For each spirit drink, buy about 4 oz (120 ml) of mixer.
How much champagne for a toast?
One bottle pours six flutes. For 60 guests, buy 10 bottles; for anyone not drinking, an alcohol-free sparkling at the same ratio.
How much ice do I need for a party?
About 1.5 pounds (0.7 kg) a guest, and 2 pounds (0.9 kg) if it's hot, outdoors or mostly cocktails. That covers glasses and keeping bottles cold in a tub. Buy a bag more than you think; leftover ice costs very little.
What's a good mix of beer, wine and spirits?
A balanced crowd is about 40% beer, 30% wine and 30% spirits. Lean on wine for dinners and Christmas, beer for barbecues and cocktails for a bar-style party. You can set any split in Rounds and it re-counts every bottle.