Drinks for 50 guests
With 50 guests, one bottle is a visible share of the order. These tables show how much wine, beer and liquor to buy for 50 guests, for four bar types and three lengths of event, with every quantity rounded up.
How much to buy for 50 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 | 188 drinks | 19 bottles | 57 cans (or 1 half keg) | 3 × 750 ml bottles |
| 5 hours | 225 drinks | 23 bottles | 68 cans (or 1 half keg) | 3 × 750 ml bottles |
| 6 hours | 263 drinks | 27 bottles | 79 cans (or 1 half keg) | 4 × 750 ml bottles |
Each bar type, 5 hours
| Bar type | Total drinks | Wine | Beer | Liquor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full bar | 225 drinks | 23 bottles | 68 cans (or 1 half keg) | 3 × 750 ml bottles |
| Beer and wine | 225 drinks | 27 bottles | 90 cans (or 1 half keg) | None |
| Wine only | 225 drinks | 45 bottles | None | None |
| Signature cocktail | 225 drinks | 18 bottles | 68 cans (or 1 half keg) | 5 × 750 ml bottles |
Champagne for a toast
A toast with a glass for every guest, drinkers or not, needs 7 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 50 guests
At this size it pays to look at what a full bar really needs. Over five hours the liquor share is only 45 liquor drinks, which is 3 × 750 ml bottles. That is enough for two or three spirits, not a full back bar, so pick the few your guests are most likely to ask for and buy each one by the full bottle.
Kegs are built for bigger crowds: a half keg pours 165 beers, more than twice the 68 you need for five hours at a full bar. At 50 guests, cans are the simplest choice. If you want beer on tap, one quarter keg (82 pours) or two sixth kegs (55 each) is a closer fit to the number.
A wine-only bar changes the picture most. It needs 45 bottles for five hours, almost twice the 23 bottles of a full bar, because wine then covers every drink instead of half of them.
Worked example: 50 guests, 5-hour bar, full bar
With the default assumptions (75% of guests drinking, average drinkers, a full bar and US sizes):
- 50 guests × 75% drinking × 6 drinks each = 225 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: 113 glasses ÷ 5 glasses a bottle = 23 bottles.
- Beer is 30%: 68 cans, or 1 half keg.
- Liquor is 20%: 45 drinks ÷ 16 measures a bottle = 3 × 750 ml bottles.
- The toast: 7 bottles of champagne, one glass for every guest.
Questions
What if my guests drink more or less than average?
Choose Heavy in the calculator and the five-hour full bar needs 282 drinks instead of 225. Choose Light and it needs 169 drinks. Pick the level that fits your guests, not the one you hope for.
Should I add a buffer at 50 guests?
A 10% buffer raises the five-hour total to 248 drinks from 225. At this size that is a few bottles, a small safeguard if the shop accepts returns of unopened bottles. Check the return policy before you buy.