How the party drinks shopping calculator works
This tool turns your guest count, party length, and crowd into a practical shopping list. It estimates total drinks, splits them into alcoholic and soft based on your chosen mix, and converts those into beers, wine bottles, and liters of soft drinks to buy. It also adds the things people forget: water, cups, and ice. Round up and buy where you can return what you do not open.
How many drinks per guest
A casual daytime gathering runs around one drink per guest per hour, a standard party a little more, and a lively night out higher still. The vibe setting adjusts the rate. People drink more in the first hour or two and taper off, and not everyone drinks, so the per hour average works well across a whole party.
Mixing alcoholic and soft drinks
Always offer plenty of non-alcoholic choices. Even at adult parties, a good share of guests reach for soft drinks, sparkling water, or mocktails, and that share is higher for daytime or mixed company. The mix setting shifts the balance, and the alcoholic share is split between beer and wine, which you can adjust to your crowd.
Do not forget cups, water, and ice
Supplies run out faster than drinks. Plan a bit more than one cup per drink since people set them down and lose track, a couple of waters per guest, and roughly one to one and a half pounds of ice per guest for chilling and serving. Ice especially is cheap and always seems to vanish first.
Frequently asked questions
How much to buy for a party of 20? For a standard four hour party, roughly 35 beers, 5 bottles of wine, 17 liters of soft drinks, and about 30 pounds of ice, adjusted to your crowd.
How many cups do I need? Plan a little more than one per drink, since guests lose track and grab fresh ones.
How much ice for a party? Around one to one and a half pounds per guest for chilling and serving combined.
Related calculators: Party Beverage, Ice Melt, Punch.