How Much Alcohol Do You Need for a Party?
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Someone has to do the math. Here it is.
The Baseline Rule
Plan for 2 drinks per guest for the first hour, then 1 drink per hour after that. A 3-hour party with 10 people means roughly 40 drinks. Most parties run long, so add a 20% buffer.
What Counts as One Drink?
- Beer (5%) — 1 standard 341ml bottle or 355ml can
- Wine (12%) — 5oz / 148ml (roughly 5 glasses per 750ml bottle)
- Spirits (40%) — 1.5oz / 44ml (about 17 drinks per 750ml bottle)
- Cooler/RTD (5%) — 1 can or bottle
Quick Calculator by Guest Count
| Guests | 3-hr party | 5-hr party | 7-hr party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 people | 16 drinks | 24 drinks | 32 drinks |
| 8 people | 32 drinks | 48 drinks | 64 drinks |
| 12 people | 48 drinks | 72 drinks | 96 drinks |
| 20 people | 80 drinks | 120 drinks | 160 drinks |
Beer Party (Most Parties)
If your crowd is mostly beer drinkers, figure 2–3 cans per person for a 3-hour party, 4–5 cans for 5 hours. A 24-pack covers 8–9 people for 3 hours. Two 24-packs covers 12 people comfortably.
Rule of thumb: never host more than 10 people with one case.
Wine Party
One 750ml bottle yields approximately 5 glasses. Budget half a bottle per person for a dinner party, one bottle per person for a longer event. For a dinner party of 6: 3 bottles minimum, 4 to be safe.
Don’t forget a mix of red and white. A rough split for a general crowd: 60% red, 40% white. Summer party? Add rosé.
Spirits / Cocktails
If you’re making cocktails, plan for 3–4 per person at a cocktail party. A 750ml bottle makes about 12–15 cocktails depending on the pour. Don’t forget mixers, soda water, juice, and ice — easy to forget, critical to have.
Mixed Crowd Rule of Thumb
When you don’t know your crowd’s preferences, here’s a safe spread for a 3-hour party of 10:
- 2 x 6-packs of lager or craft beer
- 2 x 750ml bottles of wine (1 red, 1 white)
- 1 x 750ml bottle of vodka or gin
- 1 x 6-pack of coolers or seltzers
- Mixers, soda water, juice, ice
That’s roughly 36–40 drinks — covers 3 hours with some left over, which is the goal.
Watch Party Math (World Cup, NFL, NBA)
Watch parties are different from dinner parties. People arrive at kickoff, drink steadily through the match, and stop when the final whistle blows. Budget 2–3 drinks per person per 2-hour match.
For a World Cup game with 8 people: 16–24 drinks. A case of beer and two bottles of wine covers it. Double everything if Canada is playing.
How to Not Run Out Mid-Party
The only thing worse than running out is making a LCBO run while your guests are mid-conversation. Booze Run Canada delivers across Toronto and the GTA in under 60 minutes — flat $9.99, no minimum order. If you run low, order more without leaving your own party.