Drinks for 150 guests
A guest list of 150 means ordering in volume, and the choice between kegs and cans starts to matter. These tables show how much wine, beer and liquor to buy for 150 guests, with the champagne for a toast.
How much to buy for 150 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 | 563 drinks | 57 bottles | 169 cans (or 2 half kegs) | 8 × 750 ml bottles |
| 5 hours | 675 drinks | 68 bottles | 203 cans (or 2 half kegs) | 9 × 750 ml bottles |
| 6 hours | 788 drinks | 79 bottles | 237 cans (or 2 half kegs) | 10 × 750 ml bottles |
Each bar type, 5 hours
| Bar type | Total drinks | Wine | Beer | Liquor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full bar | 675 drinks | 68 bottles | 203 cans (or 2 half kegs) | 9 × 750 ml bottles |
| Beer and wine | 675 drinks | 81 bottles | 270 cans (or 2 half kegs) | None |
| Wine only | 675 drinks | 135 bottles | None | None |
| Signature cocktail | 675 drinks | 54 bottles | 203 cans (or 2 half kegs) | 13 × 750 ml bottles |
Champagne for a toast
A toast with a glass for every guest, drinkers or not, needs 19 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 150 guests
Beer is where 150 guests change the plan. A full bar for five hours needs 203 beers, and the keg sizes fit that number very differently: 2 half kegs pour 330 beers, 127 more than the 203 needed, while 3 quarter kegs pour 246 and 4 sixth kegs pour 220. Smaller kegs leave far less over, and they are easier to move and to chill.
For liquor, a full bar needs 9 × 750 ml bottles, or 4 × 1.75 L bottles if you prefer the larger size. Wine at a full bar is 68 bottles, so it is worth deciding early whether to serve one red and one white or a wider choice, because the same bottles have to be split between them.
Ask your venue whether one bar or two will serve 150 guests well. The quantities in the tables stay the same either way, since they depend on how many drinks guests have, not on how many people pour them.
Worked example: 150 guests, 5-hour bar, full bar
With the default assumptions (75% of guests drinking, average drinkers, a full bar and US sizes):
- 150 guests × 75% drinking × 6 drinks each = 675 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: 338 glasses ÷ 5 glasses a bottle = 68 bottles.
- Beer is 30%: 203 cans, or 2 half kegs.
- Liquor is 20%: 135 drinks ÷ 16 measures a bottle = 9 × 750 ml bottles.
- The toast: 19 bottles of champagne, one glass for every guest.
Questions
How many bottles of champagne for 150 guests?
A toast with a glass for each guest needs 19 bottles of champagne or sparkling wine. The champagne toast calculator compares bottles and magnums and lets you change the pour.
Is a half keg ever the better choice at 150 guests?
Yes, when beer is the main drink. A beer-and-wine bar for five hours needs 270 cans, and then 2 half kegs (330 pours) are a good fit.