How Much Alcohol Do You Actually Need for Your Party?

The best part of a BYOB bar is the savings — you buy the alcohol yourself, at retail, with no markup. The most stressful part is the question that comes right after: how much do I actually buy? Buy too little and the bar runs dry before the toasts. Buy too much and you’re storing cases of warm chardonnay in the garage for a year.

Here’s the simple math we give every client, plus sample lists you can take straight to the store.

The one rule that matters: one drink, per guest, per hour

Plan on about one drink per guest per hour — but bump the first hour to two, because that’s when everyone arrives thirsty and heads to the bar at once. So a 4-hour party for 50 guests works out to roughly 250 drinks (50 guests × 5 “drink-hours”).

That’s your target number. Now you just split it across beer, wine, and liquor.

A split that works for most crowds

Unless you know your guests lean hard one way, this split holds up well:

• 50% beer & seltzer
• 25% wine
• 25% liquor / cocktails

Adjust to your crowd — a wedding skews more wine and cocktails, a backyard summer party skews more beer and seltzer.

What each bottle actually pours

This is where people over- or under-buy. Quick conversions:

• One 750ml bottle of liquor = about 16 cocktails (1.5 oz pours)
• One 750ml bottle of wine = about 5 glasses
• Beer & seltzer = buy by the can, one per drink

Sample shopping list — 50 guests, 4 hours (~250 drinks)

• Beer/seltzer (125 drinks): ~125 cans — about 5 cases
• Wine (62 drinks): ~13 bottles — a mix of red, white, and a sparkling for toasts
• Liquor (63 cocktails): ~4 bottles — typically vodka, tequila, rum, plus one for a signature cocktail

Sample shopping list — 100 guests, 5 hours (~600 drinks)

• Beer/seltzer (300 drinks): ~300 cans — about 12–13 cases
• Wine (150 drinks): ~30 bottles
• Liquor (150 cocktails): ~10 bottles

Don’t forget the bar around the bar

The alcohol is only half the list. You’ll also want plenty of ice, and if you’re running cocktails, mixers and fresh garnishes. Good news on our end: for cocktail packages we bring the mixers and fresh garnishes, all the professional tools, and ice — so your shopping list stays focused on the alcohol and the basics.

The easiest version of all this

When you book with Palm Beach Cocktails, you don’t have to guess. We build a custom shopping list around your exact guest count, hours, and drink menu — so you buy what you’ll actually pour and nothing you won’t. You bring the bottles, our two-bartender team handles the rest: setup, service, and a clean breakdown.