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How much wine, beer, and liquor per guest. Printable list, size recommendations, and the 4 mistakes first-time hosts always make.
Half the people who walk into the shop in December ask the same question: "I'm having 20 people over — how much do I need?" Here's the formula and a printable list.
The simple per-guest math (3-hour event)
- Wine: 1 bottle per 2 guests (each bottle = 5 glasses; assume 2.5 glasses per drinker)
- Beer: 3 bottles or cans per beer-drinker
- Liquor (cocktails): 1 bottle (750ml) covers 16 cocktails; assume 1–2 cocktails per spirit-drinker
- Mixers: 1 liter mixer per spirit bottle
- Sparkling water: match the volume of any other category
The 50/30/20 rule
For most American holiday parties, drinkers split roughly 50% wine, 30% beer, 20% spirits/cocktails. Adjust to your crowd, but this is a safe default if you don't know yet.
Worked example: 20 guests, 3-hour party
Assume 16 of the 20 will drink alcohol.
- Wine drinkers (~10): need ~25 glasses → 5 bottles of wine (mix 3 red, 2 white)
- Beer drinkers (~5): need ~15 beers → two 12-packs (one lager, one IPA or seasonal)
- Spirit drinkers (~3): need ~6 cocktails → 1 bottle of vodka or whiskey + 1 bottle of mixer
- Sparkling water — 2 large bottles minimum
- Ice — 1 lb per guest (yes, really; people underestimate ice every time)
The 4 mistakes first-time hosts make
- Buying only red wine in winter. Even in December, ~40% of wine drinkers want white or sparkling. Always have at least one chilled white in the fridge.
- One spirit, no mixers. A bottle of whiskey alone is fine for the diehards. Pair it with one neutral spirit (vodka or gin) and ice + tonic + soda + lime so non-whiskey-people have options.
- Forgetting non-alcoholic options. N/A beer, sparkling water, kombucha — designate at least 25% of your liquid by volume to these. People drink more than you think when there's a good option.
- Underestimating ice. Buy double what you think. Cocktails alone burn through ice faster than the freezer can keep up.
Save 10–15% with a case
If your wine list hits 12 bottles or more, our case discount kicks in: 10% off mix-or-match 12, 15% off a full case of one wine. For a 30-person party, that's typically $20–$40 saved.
What we offer
Drop your guest count and timeline at the store — we'll build a complete shopping list, set aside the bottles, and have it ready for pickup or delivery the day of. Free returns on unopened product for qualifying event orders, so you can over-buy without worry.
For party-specific tasting recommendations, see our wine pairing guide or 5 classic cocktails.