Plan the perfectly stocked bar for any gathering
From a backyard cookout to a black-tie wedding.
Precise quantities for every bottle, glass, and garnish.
Four quick steps from guest count to shopping list.
Pick a preset — Full Bar, Wedding, Cocktail Party, and more.
Enter guest count, event length, and drinking intensity.
Check, uncheck, or add your own brands and items.
Get exact bottle and case counts, ready to print.
Every recommendation on this page comes from a transparent formula, not a guess. We start with a base rate of 1.5 standard drinks per person, per hour — a widely used baseline among professional caterers and bar services. Your selected drinking intensity then adjusts that rate: Light scales it down (×0.7), Moderate keeps it at the baseline (×1.0), and Heavy scales it up (×1.4). A 4-hour event at Moderate intensity works out to 6 drinks per drinking guest; the same event at Heavy intensity comes to 8.4.
We don’t assume every guest drinks. By default, we subtract 15% of your guest count as non-drinkers or designated drivers before calculating alcohol quantities — adjustable in Advanced Settings if your group skews differently. We also add a 10% buffer on top of the raw total, because running out mid-event is a worse outcome than having a little extra left over. Ice is calculated separately, at 1 lb per guest by default.
Category splits are theme-aware. Your total drink count is divided across spirits, wine, and beer using percentage allocations tied to your selected bar theme — a wedding defaults to wine-forward ratios, Cinco de Mayo shifts toward tequila, St. Patrick’s Day shifts toward beer, and so on. You can override any of these splits manually under “Customize ratios.” Finally, we convert total drinks into shoppable units — bottles, cases, and cans — using standard pour sizes for each category, so your results are a real shopping list, not an abstract drink count.
Every default used above is visible and editable in Advanced Settings and Customize Ratios — nothing in this calculator is a black box.
These figures are generated directly by our calculator’s own pricing engine — real retail cost estimates for buying and self-serving your bar, based on average U.S. shelf prices (4-hour event, moderate drinking intensity). This reflects DIY purchase cost only, not a catered bar service quote, which typically also includes bartender labor and setup fees.
| Guests | Full Bar | Beer & Wine | Cocktail Party | Bubbly & Wine | Wedding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $535 | $409 | $459 | $512 | $522 |
| 50 | $921 | $766 | $801 | $974 | $989 |
| 100 | $1,782 | $1,429 | $1,583 | $1,944 | $1,861 |
| 150 | $2,678 | $2,139 | $2,334 | $2,918 | $2,738 |
| 200 | $3,516 | $2,802 | $3,116 | $3,845 | $3,609 |
Estimates use default per-unit pricing (spirits ~$25/750ml, wine ~$14/bottle, beer ~$28/case of 24, mixers ~$2.50/liter, ice ~$5/20lb bag) and will vary by region and brand selection. Use the Cost Estimate tool above for a number tailored to your exact guest count and local prices.
In-depth guides from our event planning team — how much to buy, what to stock, and how to set it all up.
Professional bartenders typically charge $40–$60 per hour, usually with a 4-hour minimum booking:
| Guests | Bartenders | Est. Cost (4 hrs) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1 | $200–$350 |
| 100 | 1–2 | $350–$600 |
| 150–200 | 2–3 | $500–$900+ |
Labor only — alcohol, mixers, and supplies (estimated separately by our calculator) are additional. Rates vary by region and event type.
For larger events, many planners also add a barback — an assistant who restocks ice, garnishes, and glassware so bartenders can focus on making drinks:
| Guests | Bartenders | Barbacks |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 2 | 1 |
| 150 | 3 | 1 |
| 200 | 4 | 2 |
Barbacks typically cost less per hour than bartenders, making them a cost-effective way to keep a larger bar moving smoothly.