How much alcohol for 125 guests?
For a 5-hour party with a full bar, 125 guests drink about 750 drinks: 5 cases of beer, 30 bottles of wine and 31 bottles (750 ml) of liquor, plus 61 liters of mixers and 125 lb of ice.
| Bar open | Drinks | Beer (cases of 24) | Wine (750 ml bottles) | Liquor (750 ml bottles) | Ice | Mixers (1 L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 500 | 4 | 20 | 21 | 125 lb | 41 L |
| 4 hours | 625 | 4 | 25 | 26 | 125 lb | 51 L |
| 5 hours | 750 | 5 | 30 | 31 | 125 lb | 61 L |
| 6 hours | 875 | 6 | 35 | 36 | 125 lb | 72 L |
The split is 65% liquor, 15% beer and 20% wine: what a former country-club banquet captain sees at weddings. A beer crowd, a wine dinner, a champagne toast or a different guest count? Run your own numbers in the alcohol calculator.
Bartenders
5 bartenders if all 125 guests hit the bar at once, as after a ceremony. 3 if arrivals spread out. A beer-and-wine bar pours faster and needs fewer: see the staffing calculator.
How the math works
2 drinks per guest in the first hour, then 1 per guest per hour. A 750 ml bottle of wine pours 5 glasses of 5 oz; a 750 ml bottle of liquor pours 16 shots of 1.5 oz (NIAAA standard drinks). Beer is one can or bottle per drink. Mixers are about 4 oz per mixed drink, and ice is 1 lb per guest for drinks, more if you chill bottles in tubs. Count only guests of legal drinking age who drink.
Questions people ask
How much alcohol do I need for 125 guests?
For a 5-hour party with a full bar, 125 guests drink about 750 drinks: 5 cases of beer, 30 bottles of wine and 31 bottles (750 ml) of liquor, plus 61 liters of mixers and 125 lb of ice.
How many bartenders for 125 guests?
5 for a full bar when everyone arrives at once, as at a wedding cocktail hour (1 per 30 guests). 3 if arrivals spread out over an hour or more (1 per 50).
How many bottles of wine for 125 guests?
30 bottles for 5 hours when wine is 20% of the drinks, as at a typical wedding with a full bar. Serving only wine? Set wine to 100% in the alcohol calculator.
Other guest counts
50 guests · 75 guests · 100 guests · 150 guests · 200 guests · 250 guests · 300 guests
Serve only guests of legal drinking age, offer non-alcoholic options, and help guests get home safely.