The calculation has two parts: how many total drinks will get consumed, and how much product that translates to.
Part 1: Total drinks
Guest count × hours of open bar × 1 drink per guest per hour = total drinks needed. A party of 30 guests over 4 hours needs roughly 120 drinks. Add slightly more for the first hour if there's a cocktail-hour rush.
Part 2: Converting drinks to product
| Format | Standard Yield |
|---|---|
| 750ml bottle of spirit (2oz pours) | ~12-13 drinks |
| 1.75L bottle of spirit (2oz pours) | ~29 drinks |
| 1 gallon batch cocktail | ~24 drinks |
| 5 gallon batch cocktail | ~120 drinks |
Worked example
120 total drinks needed, split across 2 batch cocktail flavors: 60 drinks per flavor, which is roughly 2.5 gallons of batch per flavor, rounding up to a 5-gallon batch of one flavor plus a smaller size of the second if guest preference skews toward one option.
Always round up
Running short mid-party is the outcome to avoid. Leftover batch cocktail holds in the fridge for a few days, so overordering by 10 to 15 percent is the safer default.
Colorway Event Delivery
Custom quantities and full bar service for weddings, corporate events, and private parties.
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