Is your D’ day approaching near? With all the preparation almost done are you still stuck in the confusion of how much alcohol is required to serve your guests? Well, it is the trickiest part that everyone comes across. We are here to assist you in knowing the quantity required for your open bar wedding. Make the efficient use of the wedding alcohol calculator and prevent yourself from running short.
The overall requirement depends on various factors like time of the ceremony, several guests invited, how many guests tend to drink, light and heavy drinkers, type of wedding ceremony, expected budget, etc.
Since the wedding ceremony itself is a costly affair, everyone tries to keep their budget tight when it comes to alcohol. So make the best use of the alcohol calculator for the wedding and keep your guests happy and contended by offering them their favorite liquor.
Things To Do Before Buying Alcohol: Understanding the Crowd
Wondering how much alcohol for wedding calculators.
Let’s make it easy by considering simple things. Start looking at the list of guests who have been invited to be part of the ceremony. Consider the number of children and senior citizens. Subtract their number from the total number of the guest list. The number you obtained is drinkers at the party.
Once you are done with the number of drinkers, the next comes the type. Analyze whether they are tight, moderate, or heavy drinkers and the choice of drinks they usually prefer.
For example, if maximum among your guest prefers drinking wine, then don’t waste spending money on filling beer in the stock.
How To Meet Alcohol Demand in Tight Budget?
Even if you are on a tight budget, it is never a good idea to have a cash bar. None of your guests would like to pay for their drinks.
There are many more and better ideas that can help you save cash. The best way is to skip all the hard liquor and make arrangements only for wine and beer.
Other than this you can pick some of the branded liquor like vodka, rum, gin, tequilla to host your guest.
Moreover, if you think of serving wine and beer then you can include different flavors and a variety of wine at the bar. This offers multiple-choice to the guest at the bar at your wedding. To make it more precise, you can consider the use of personalized wedding cups. This gives you more control over the quantity of liquor that is required to serve your guest.
Consider Day and Timing of the Ceremony
The day and timing of your reception affect the alcohol calculation for a wedding. If your wedding ceremony is scheduled in the morning or during the day then there is the least chance of guest inclination towards drinking.
On the other hand, tying a knot at night demands more alcohol in the stock.
Similarly, the wedding ceremony during weekdays reduces the alcohol demand as compared to during the weekends.
Who Will Supply The Alcohol?
Sometimes the reception venues like hotels and restaurants take charge of serving alcohol and include its cost in the food arrangements. Caterers coordinate with the other staff and alcohol person to supply alcohol for the wedding day.
In case the venue does not hold a license for the offering alcohol they will arrange a vendor for you. In such a case, it is always good to be specific with your requirements and budget with the vendor so that he serves the appropriate alcohol for your wedding.
If in the case, the venue allows you to serve your alcohol then it is good to spend some time in doing the right calculation that helps you in deciding the types of alcohol that you want to have. Also, you can save your bucks by purchasing alcohol at the wholesale price. This will maintain a better flow of the liquor without affecting your budget.
How Much Alcohol Should You Buy?
After making the general assumption it is the time to be specific in the quantity of alcohol that is required to keep in stock for entertaining your guest on your D’day.
- Determine the Quantity of Purchase
The total quantity of alcohol bottles to keep in stock depends on different factors discussed above but the final calculation is hard to predict. It is therefore always good to carry some extra quantity to avoid shortage.
- Here are few general calculations below:
- For Champagne Toast
Thinking of serving a champagne toast then it can be assumed that one bottle is sufficient to serve 8 guests. Since toast is not filled full, you can instruct the server to fill the glass up to 1/3 or 1/2 level. Doing this, one can serve up to 100 guests with 13 bottles of champagne.
- For Beer, Wine and Other Liquor
A good thumb rule to calculate its quantity is to assume that each guest who prefers drink will consume two drinks for the cocktail per hour and 1 drink every hour after that.
Let’s take an example of 100 guests for an alcohol calculator wedding.
To serve 100 guests 7 cases of beer with 24 bottles in each case will be more than sufficient to offer plentiful beer.
If you have an arrangement for evening function then go with the preference. Generally, people like to drink red wine in the evening rather than white wine.
Each bottle of wine is equal to 5 glasses and therefore to serve 100 guests than 24 bottles will be good enough to keep in the stock. You can increase or decrease its number by analyzing your guests’ needs.
- Do not Forget Mixer and Garnishes
Since drinking or preparing cocktails is incomplete without mixers and garnishes, it is good if you consider them too.
In an assumption, for each bottle of spirits buy three bottles of mixers like soda water, tonic water, cranberry juice, ginger ale, etc.
Keep stock of ice to offer chilled beer and drinks to your guests.
- Compile the Shopping List
- Spirits
Although it is difficult to predict the right amount of drinks required to serve your guest. One can assume keeping 15 bottles for 100 guests by following the right breakup as follow:
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- Vodka- 6 bottles
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- Whiskey- 4 bottles
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- Gin- 2 bottles
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- Tequilla- 2 bottles
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- Rum- 1 bottle
- Wine
When it comes to wine leans more towards availing the red wine especially if the wedding arrangement is during the evening time. Here an assumption of the type and quantity of the different type of wine:
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- White Wine: 23 bottles
- Sparkling Wine: 12 bottles
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- Beer
Generally, common type of beer is usually common in the wedding bar that includes one pilsner, one lager, and one IPA
- Mixers
Alcoholic drink is incomplete without mixers and therefore it is good to keep the supply of basic mixers and garnishes along with other basic requirements like glassware and napkins.
For serving 100 guests, the following is the shopping list.
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- Club Soda or Seltzer: 10 liters
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- Ginger Ale: 6 liters
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- Cola: 8 liters
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- Diet Cola: 8 liters
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- Lemon Lime Soda: 8 liters
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- Tonic: 6 liters
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- Juice (Orange, Cranberry, and Grapefruit): 3 Quarts
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- Sour Mix, Simple Syrup, Bitters. Grenadine: 2 bottles
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- Dry and Sweet Vermouth: 1 bottle
- Garnishes
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- Lemon or Lime per guest- 1/2
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- Olives and Cherries per guest- 2
Bottom Line
The above wedding reception alcohol calculator is based on assumption. You can take an idea and fill the stock considering your guest’s taste and preference. Be specific to the choice and it is always good to add little extra to avoid any shortage of drink on the special eve.