Hot days drink more ice
Barbecues are beer-led, so Rounds starts at 60% beer. Hot weather and coolers eat ice: plan 2 pounds a guest instead of 1.5, and keep one bag sealed in the shade for later.
Put water out from the start. It doesn't change the count, but it keeps the afternoon going.
| 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.