Wine poured at an event · Matthieu Joannon
Drinks calculator
Estimate drinks, bottles, ice and glassware for the length of your event.
Estimate
The standard planning rate is one drink per guest in the first hour and one per hour after that. Everything below follows from that, then splits by drink type.
What this assumes
- One drink per guest in the first hour, one per hour after that, multiplied by 0.7 for a light crowd and 1.3 for a heavy one.
- Five 150 ml glasses per 750 ml wine bottle; sixteen 45 ml measures per 750 ml spirit bottle; six glasses per sparkling bottle.
- Ice at about 0.9 kg per guest, covering both chilling and drinks.
- Glassware at 1.7 per guest for self-service bars.
- Alcohol licensing and service rules are local and are not covered here.
These are estimating rules of thumb, not guarantees. Check the numbers against your own menu, your own staff and your own suppliers.
Related reading
GuideService styles comparedBuffet, plated, family style, stations and passed canapes, and what each one does to your staffing, your timing and your food quantities.
GuidePortion planningThe per-guest figures caterers work from, what changes them, and where they go wrong.
GuideStaffing an eventHow many servers, bartenders and kitchen staff an event needs, and the hours nobody counts.
Page revised 18 September 2026.