How much alcohol do you need for a wedding?
Start from the guests who drink, not the whole guest list. Multiply by the drinks each one has, then split the total across beer, wine, and liquor. The bottle and case counts are arithmetic on that split, so change the assumptions and the order changes with them.
How much alcohol do I need for a wedding?
For 100 guests with 70 drinking and two drinks each, plan 140 drinks. A 40/30/30 split is 56 beers, 42 wine pours, and 42 liquor pours: 3 cases of beer, 9 wine bottles, and 3 liquor bottles. Add non-alcoholic drinks, mixers, and ice separately.
The estimate in one line
Drinking guests × drinks per guest = total drinks. Split that total by the mix, then divide each share by what a case or bottle holds. The calculator rounds every container up, because a partial case still has to be ordered.
The two assumptions that move the number most are the share of guests who drink and the drinks per guest. A brunch reception and a late-night dance floor do not need the same multiplier.
| Guests | Drinks | Beer cases | Wine bottles | Liquor bottles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 70 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 100 | 140 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| 150 | 210 | 4 | 13 | 4 |
| 200 | 280 | 5 | 17 | 5 |
What the container math assumes
A case is 24 bottles. A 750 ml wine bottle is five five-ounce glasses. A 750 ml spirits bottle is seventeen one-and-a-half-ounce pours. Those are arithmetic conventions, not a caterer's contract; a venue may pour larger glasses or refuse outside alcohol.
The estimate also does not include mixers, citrus, syrup, ice, garnishes, or the non-alcoholic table. Those are separate orders, and the ice is usually larger than people expect.
How to adjust for your crowd
Lower the drinking share when the guest list is multi-generational or the reception is short. Raise it when the event is a late party with a younger crowd. Keep the drinks-per-guest number modest if wine is served with dinner and the bar opens after.
If you are offering a signature cocktail, take its pours out of the liquor share before you order. A batched drink that uses two ounces of spirits per serve is not extra on top of the liquor estimate; it is part of it.
- Subtract the signature-drink pours from the liquor share.
- Order non-alcoholic drinks for the guests who do not drink, plus a buffer.
- Confirm whether the venue allows outside alcohol and corkage.
- Keep a small buffer of beer and wine; running out is worse than one spare case.
Keep going
About 10 minutes. Software, not a waitlist — your chart tonight.