How much alcohol for 250 guests?
For a 5-hour party with a full bar, 250 guests drink about 1500 drinks: 10 cases of beer, 60 bottles of wine and 61 bottles (750 ml) of liquor, plus 122 liters of mixers and 250 lb of ice.
| Bar open | Drinks | Beer (cases of 24) | Wine (750 ml bottles) | Liquor (750 ml bottles) | Ice | Mixers (1 L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 1000 | 7 | 40 | 41 | 250 lb | 82 L |
| 4 hours | 1250 | 8 | 50 | 51 | 250 lb | 102 L |
| 5 hours | 1500 | 10 | 60 | 61 | 250 lb | 122 L |
| 6 hours | 1750 | 11 | 70 | 72 | 250 lb | 143 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
9 bartenders if all 250 guests hit the bar at once, as after a ceremony. 5 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 250 guests?
For a 5-hour party with a full bar, 250 guests drink about 1500 drinks: 10 cases of beer, 60 bottles of wine and 61 bottles (750 ml) of liquor, plus 122 liters of mixers and 250 lb of ice.
How many bartenders for 250 guests?
9 for a full bar when everyone arrives at once, as at a wedding cocktail hour (1 per 30 guests). 5 if arrivals spread out over an hour or more (1 per 50).
How many bottles of wine for 250 guests?
60 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 · 125 guests · 150 guests · 200 guests · 300 guests
Serve only guests of legal drinking age, offer non-alcoholic options, and help guests get home safely.