How many drinks do you need at an event?
Practical rules of thumb for the right quantity of drinks at drinks receptions, dinners and corporate events. Per event type, with ratios and conversion factors.
The basic rule
The most widely used rule of thumb in catering is simple: allow three drinks per person in the first hour and two drinks per person per hour after that. That figure includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks combined.
For a two-hour drinks reception with 50 guests, that works out at (50 x 3) + (50 x 2) = 250 drinks. For three hours it becomes 350. Those numbers sound high, but they hold up well in practice for a standing crowd moving freely around the room.
Rule of thumb: First hour: 3 drinks per person. Each subsequent hour: 2 drinks per person.
Two-hour reception = 5 drinks p.p. Three-hour reception = 7 drinks p.p.
Bear in mind that these are averages. Guests who are driving will drink less alcohol. At corporate events we generally see lower consumption than at private parties. And in warm weather consumption rises by 20 to 30 per cent, particularly for water and soft drinks.
Per event type
The type of occasion determines how much is drunk and what. A standing drinks reception is very different from a seated dinner or a meeting. Below are the guidelines we use in practice.
| Event type | Drinks per person (total) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drinks reception (2 hours) | 5 - 6 | Standing, free-flowing, highest consumption per hour |
| Drinks reception (3 hours) | 7 - 8 | Same pace, but consumption tapers off after two hours |
| Corporate drinks reception | 3 - 5 | Lower consumption, many designated drivers, more non-alcoholic |
| Walking dinner | 4 - 6 | Guests eat and drink at the same time, slightly slower pace |
| Seated dinner (3 courses) | 3 - 4 glasses of wine + 2 glasses of water | One glass per course, one and a half with the main course |
| Buffet dinner | 4 - 5 | Slightly more than a seated dinner, guests move freely |
| Meeting or conference | 1 coffee/tea + 1 - 2 waters per hour | No alcohol, but sufficient water and coffee |
| Lunch | 2 glasses of water/soft drink, optionally 1 glass of wine | Daytime, corporate setting, low alcohol consumption |
The ratio: beer, wine and soft drinks
The split depends on your guests, the occasion and the season. As a starting point, these ratios work well:
For a mixed adult group at a drinks reception: 50% beer, 30% wine, 20% soft drinks and water. At a corporate drinks reception this shifts towards more wine and less beer. For a younger crowd it tends to go the other way.
The non-alcoholic share is growing. At corporate events we now allow for 40 to 50% non-alcoholic, including water, soft drinks and alcohol-free beer. Not everyone drinks alcohol, and more and more guests are choosing non-alcoholic options by choice. Make sure those options look the part, not like an afterthought.
In warm weather the ratio shifts: more water, more soft drinks, more white wine and rosé, less red. In winter it goes the other way.
Converting to bottles and crates
Once you have your quantities, you need to convert them into what you actually order. These conversion factors are standard in the catering industry.
| Drink | Volume | Glasses per bottle/unit |
|---|---|---|
| Wine | 0.75 litres | 5 glasses |
| Champagne / prosecco | 0.75 litres | 5 - 6 glasses |
| Beer (bottle) | 0.33 litres | 1.5 glasses (when poured) |
| Soft drink | 1.5 litres | 7 glasses |
| Spirits | 0.7 litres | 15 - 20 glasses |
| Water | 1 litre | 4 - 5 glasses |
Always order glassware in full crates. At KOM we work with crates of 36 (wine glasses) and 49 (highball glasses). Allow 1.5 glasses per guest per drink type, as glasses go missing or get swapped.
These are the ground rules. In practice, dozens of other factors come into play: the type of glass, cooling, the logistics of topping up, and reading your specific guests accurately. How many bar stations do you need? Who keeps track of whether the beer runs out while the wine goes untouched? That is exactly where a caterer makes the difference. Not just in the calculation, but in the execution on the night itself.
Example calculation: drinks reception for 80 guests, 2.5 hours
Total drinks: (80 x 3) + (80 x 2) + (80 x 1) = 480 drinks. That sounds like a lot, but it is accurate. Split for a mixed corporate group: 50% alcoholic, 50% non-alcoholic.
Alcoholic (240 drinks): 120 beers (approximately 5 crates of bottles), 80 glasses of wine (16 bottles, so two cases), 40 other.
Non-alcoholic (240 drinks): 100 soft drinks (approximately 15 x 1.5-litre bottles), 100 waters (25 litres), 40 coffees/teas.
Glassware: 2 crates of wine glasses (72 pieces), 3 crates of highball glasses (147 pieces). That may seem generous, but it prevents you running short halfway through.
Factors that affect consumption
Season and weather
In summer temperatures guests drink 20 to 30 per cent more, particularly water, soft drinks and light beer. The share of white wine and rosé increases. In winter the shift goes towards red wine and hot drinks.
Audience
A younger crowd drinks on average more alcohol, up to 70 to 80 per cent of the total. For a mixed corporate group that figure sits at around 50 per cent. At a family reunion with children the alcohol share can fall to 40 per cent or lower.
Food served alongside
When there is substantial food, drink consumption falls. A walking dinner or buffet dinner slows the pace compared to a standing drinks reception with no food. Factor this into your calculation.
Time of day
An afternoon event sees lower alcohol consumption than an evening programme. At a lunch, a single glass of wine is the norm. At an evening drinks reception the pace picks up more quickly.
Frequently asked questions about drinks calculations
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