Drinks for 75 guests
At 75 guests a single half keg can cover the beer for any bar type. Use these tables to see how much wine, beer and liquor to buy for 75 guests, and how the answer changes with the bar type and the length of the event.
How much to buy for 75 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 | 282 drinks | 29 bottles | 85 cans (or 1 half keg) | 4 × 750 ml bottles |
| 5 hours | 338 drinks | 34 bottles | 102 cans (or 1 half keg) | 5 × 750 ml bottles |
| 6 hours | 394 drinks | 40 bottles | 119 cans (or 1 half keg) | 5 × 750 ml bottles |
Each bar type, 5 hours
| Bar type | Total drinks | Wine | Beer | Liquor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full bar | 338 drinks | 34 bottles | 102 cans (or 1 half keg) | 5 × 750 ml bottles |
| Beer and wine | 338 drinks | 41 bottles | 135 cans (or 1 half keg) | None |
| Wine only | 338 drinks | 68 bottles | None | None |
| Signature cocktail | 338 drinks | 27 bottles | 102 cans (or 1 half keg) | 7 × 750 ml bottles |
Champagne for a toast
A toast with a glass for every guest, drinkers or not, needs 10 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 75 guests
At 75 guests one half keg (165 pours) covers the beer for every bar type in the tables, at every length shown: the most any of them needs is 135 cans of beer at a beer-and-wine bar for five hours, and 158 cans for six hours. If you prefer cans, the same counts apply.
Every hour after the first adds one drink for each drinking guest. At 75 guests that is about 56 more drinks for each extra hour: 282 drinks for four hours, 338 drinks for five and 394 drinks for six. The length of the bar changes the order more than any other choice.
A signature cocktail bar needs more liquor than a full bar: 7 × 750 ml bottles for the signature bar against 5 × 750 ml bottles for a full bar, because cocktails are 30% of the drinks and liquor is 20% at a full bar. A beer-and-wine bar drops the liquor and puts the drinks into the other two: 41 bottles of wine and 135 cans of beer.
Worked example: 75 guests, 5-hour bar, full bar
With the default assumptions (75% of guests drinking, average drinkers, a full bar and US sizes):
- 75 guests × 75% drinking × 6 drinks each = 338 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: 169 glasses ÷ 5 glasses a bottle = 34 bottles.
- Beer is 30%: 102 cans, or 1 half keg.
- Liquor is 20%: 68 drinks ÷ 16 measures a bottle = 5 × 750 ml bottles.
- The toast: 10 bottles of champagne, one glass for every guest.
Questions
Should I choose a beer-and-wine bar or a full bar at 75 guests?
The total number of drinks is the same, so the choice is about the mix. A full bar for five hours needs 34 bottles of wine, 102 cans of beer and 5 × 750 ml bottles of liquor. A beer-and-wine bar needs 41 bottles of wine and 135 cans of beer, and no liquor. Choose by what your guests like and what your venue allows.
Does the six-hour column mean the bar is open for six hours?
Yes. Count every hour the bar serves drinks, from the first welcome drink to last call. If drinks stop during dinner, leave that time out, or enter the exact length in the calculator.