How much alcohol for 50 guests?
For a 5-hour party with a full bar, 50 guests drink about 300 drinks: 2 cases of beer, 12 bottles of wine and 13 bottles (750 ml) of liquor, plus 25 liters of mixers and 50 lb of ice.
| Bar open | Drinks | Beer (cases of 24) | Wine (750 ml bottles) | Liquor (750 ml bottles) | Ice | Mixers (1 L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours | 200 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 50 lb | 17 L |
| 4 hours | 250 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 50 lb | 21 L |
| 5 hours | 300 | 2 | 12 | 13 | 50 lb | 25 L |
| 6 hours | 350 | 3 | 14 | 15 | 50 lb | 29 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
2 bartenders if all 50 guests hit the bar at once, as after a ceremony. 1 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 50 guests?
For a 5-hour party with a full bar, 50 guests drink about 300 drinks: 2 cases of beer, 12 bottles of wine and 13 bottles (750 ml) of liquor, plus 25 liters of mixers and 50 lb of ice.
How many bartenders for 50 guests?
2 for a full bar when everyone arrives at once, as at a wedding cocktail hour (1 per 30 guests). 1 if arrivals spread out over an hour or more (1 per 50).
How many bottles of wine for 50 guests?
12 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
75 guests · 100 guests · 125 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.