Drinks for 100 guests
One hundred guests is the size our calculators start with, so these figures match their default results. Look up how much wine, beer and liquor to buy for 100 guests across four bar types and three lengths of event.
How much to buy for 100 guests
Every quantity is rounded up. The tables assume that 75% of guests drink, average drinkers, US bottle and can sizes and no buffer. All the assumptions are listed below the tables.
Full bar, by how long the bar is open
| Bar open | Total drinks | Wine | Beer | Liquor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | 375 drinks | 38 bottles | 113 cans (or 1 half keg) | 5 × 750 ml bottles |
| 5 hours | 450 drinks | 45 bottles | 135 cans (or 1 half keg) | 6 × 750 ml bottles |
| 6 hours | 525 drinks | 53 bottles | 158 cans (or 1 half keg) | 7 × 750 ml bottles |
Each bar type, 5 hours
| Bar type | Total drinks | Wine | Beer | Liquor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full bar | 450 drinks | 45 bottles | 135 cans (or 1 half keg) | 6 × 750 ml bottles |
| Beer and wine | 450 drinks | 54 bottles | 180 cans (or 2 half kegs) | None |
| Wine only | 450 drinks | 90 bottles | None | None |
| Signature cocktail | 450 drinks | 36 bottles | 135 cans (or 1 half keg) | 9 × 750 ml bottles |
Champagne for a toast
A toast with a glass for every guest, drinkers or not, needs 13 bottles of champagne or sparkling wine.
Change the guests, hours, drinking level or bottle sizes in the wedding drinks calculator or the party drinks calculator.
Assumptions
| Guests who drink | 75% of the guest count |
|---|---|
| Drinks per drinking guest | 2 in the first hour, then 1 per hour |
| Drinking level | light ×0.75, average ×1, heavy ×1.25 |
| Full bar | 50% wine, 30% beer, 20% liquor |
| Beer and wine | 60% wine, 40% beer |
| Wine only | 100% wine |
| Signature cocktail | 40% wine, 30% beer, 30% cocktails (1.5 oz liquor each) |
| Wine | 750 ml bottle = 5 glasses of 5 oz (148 ml) |
| Beer | one 355 ml can per drink |
| Liquor | 750 ml bottle = 16 drinks of 1.5 oz (44 ml); 1.75 L bottle = 39 |
| Champagne toast | 750 ml bottle = 8 toasts of 3 oz (89 ml), one toast per guest |
| Kegs (12 oz pours) | half 165, quarter 82, sixth 55 |
| Buffer | +10% on every quantity when switched on |
| Rounding | every quantity is rounded up |
What is different at 100 guests
Time matters more than any other input: each hour after the first adds 75 drinks, one for each of the 75 drinking guests. A full bar needs 375 drinks for four hours, 450 drinks for five and 525 drinks for six.
At five hours the same 450 drinks are shared out differently by each bar type. A full bar needs 45 bottles of wine, 135 cans of beer and 6 × 750 ml bottles of liquor. A beer-and-wine bar needs 54 bottles of wine and 180 cans of beer. A wine-only bar needs 90 bottles of wine. A signature cocktail bar needs 36 bottles of wine, 135 cans and 9 × 750 ml bottles of liquor, because the cocktails use more liquor than a full bar does.
The toast is counted apart from the bar: 13 bottles of champagne for every guest to have one glass, drinkers or not. A 10% buffer lifts the five-hour total to 495 drinks instead of 450.
Worked example: 100 guests, 5-hour bar, full bar
With the default assumptions (75% of guests drinking, average drinkers, a full bar and US sizes):
- 100 guests × 75% drinking × 6 drinks each = 450 drinks, rounded up. The 6 is 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 for each of the next 4.
- Wine is half of those: 225 glasses ÷ 5 glasses a bottle = 45 bottles.
- Beer is 30%: 135 cans, or 1 half keg.
- Liquor is 20%: 90 drinks ÷ 16 measures a bottle = 6 × 750 ml bottles.
- The toast: 13 bottles of champagne, one glass for every guest.
Questions
Why is 100 guests not 100 glasses of wine?
Not every guest drinks, and each drinker's drinks are spread across wine, beer and liquor. With 75% drinking, 6 drinks each and half of them wine, a five-hour full bar needs 225 glasses, which is 45 bottles.
Can I use these numbers for a party instead of a wedding?
Yes. A party is usually shorter, so use the four-hour row. For a different length, drinking share or level, use the party drinks calculator linked above the assumptions.