Party Planning

Beverage Calculator
There is no absolute formula for calculating the exact amount and mix of beverages, it largely depends on the type of drinkers attending the party. There are wine, beer and liquor drinkers and light, moderate and heavy drinkers.

Most guests drink 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 drink every hour after that. A four hour party with 20 people = 5 drinks per person and 100 drinks total. An easy mix of beverages is 33% beer, 33% wine and 33% liquor, but that will vary depending on the guests, food served, theme of the party and the time of the year.

Beer
Kegs are fun, but can be messy, expensive, and a lot of work. A mix of beer in bottles or cans including light, domestic, import, craft, etc. will satisfiy more tastes and the leftover beer can be saved for later.

Wine
750ml = 25oz 5 drinks
1.5Ltr = 10 drinks
Mix red and white wine depending on the food, theme of the party and time of the year. Most white wine can be chilled, but only a few red wines can.

Liquor
A mixed drink contains about 1 1/2 ounces of liquor so:
1 750ml = 16 drinks
1 Ltr       = 22 drinks
1 1.75L   = 40 drinks
Vodka is the number one liquor for parties followed by Whiskey, Rum, Tequila and Gin.
Choose 1-3 signature drinks for the party based on the food and theme rather than trying to stock a whole bar.
Examples are martinis, margaritas, daiquiris, rum and coke, whiskey and coke, drinks with juice and fruit.

Mixers
Have 3-4 times the number of mixers as liquor such as coke, sprite, ginger ale, juices, tonic water, club soda, margarita mix, daiquiri mix, etc.

Water
Dont forget plenty of bottled water especially in the summer for a break from drinking and to rehydrate.

Ice
Provide 1-2 lbs of ice per person depending on the time of the year for drinks and icing down beer and wine.

Cups and Napkins
Guest will use multiple cups and napkins, provide 3-4 of each per person.

Garnishes
Don't forget limes, lemons, oranges, cherries, olives, onions, pineapple, etc. depending on the drinks served.

Kegs
1/4 barrel = 7.5 gallons = 80 beers
or 3.33 24 packs, 2.67 30 packs , 2.22 36 packs
1/2 barrel = 15  gallons = 160 beers
or  6.67 24 packs, 5.33 30 packs, 4.44 36 packs

Deposits
Keg                   $30-$70
Tap or pump    $30-$70

Cost
1/4 barrel $75 and up
1/2 barrel $75-$200

Advantages
Novelty and taste of beer on tap
Cost - Can be cheaper, but not always

Disadvantages
Deposits can be as much as the keg, you may lose the deposit if the tap is damaged
Kegs need to be returned which can be inconvenient
Kegs are heavy and hard to handle and ice down
Taps do not always work properly, especially for inexperienced keg users, too much foam is sometimes a problem
If beer is leftover it is lost, beer in bottles and cans can be saved for later
Large packages such as 36 packs are sometimes cheaper than kegs
When buying cans or bottles you can mix up your selection