Drinks Calculator.
Probably one of the most frequently asked questions 'how much do I budget for drinks?'
If you don't want your guests to pay for their own drinks, our online drinks calculator will guide you to help set a bar budget. There are 5 variables that effect the projected bar spend.
Variable 1 - Guest Number
Your Guest Count:
Step One: Your Guest Count
Variable 2: Event Duration
Enter the full duration from guest arrival to departure.
Variable 3: Estimate Drinks Per Guest, Per Hour
This is just an estimate, but having hosted hundreds of events under our belt, we’ve got some solid guidelines to help you make an informed guess.
The standard event planning rule is 1.25 drinks per person per hour, though we’re now seeing averages between 1 - 1.2 drinks. We track alcohol consumption at every event, and you can check out our full data table for reference.
A few key trends:
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Age matters – A 50th birthday tends to drink more than a 21st.
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Event type plays a role – Corporate weekday events and sit-down dinners see lower consumption than canapé-style gatherings.
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Demographics make a difference – Men often drink more than women, and cultural or religious backgrounds may mean some guests don’t drink at all.
Average number of drinks per guest per hour
Lowest Record To Date 0.46
Light Drinkers 0.6 - 0.89
Medium Drinkers 0.9 - 1.25
High Frivolity 1.26 - 1.6
Highest Record To Date 2.84
Variable 4: Special Event Drinks
Enter the total number of arrival drinks and momentous (toast) drinks you are going to also include in your drinks offering over the course of your event. The cost of these are seperate to your bar budget.
Variable 5: Calculate the Average Cost per Drink
The cost of a drink varies. Not knowing what your guests will choose on the day, we multiply the estimated number of drinks for your event by the average cost of a drink. Select the drinks categories you want to include on your TAB to work out the overall average cost of a drink.
Tap Beer $15.50
Bottled Beer $13
Cider $14
House Wines $14.30
Branded Wines $17.80
House Spirits $13
Branded Spirits $16
Cocktails $22
Results.
Estimated Drinks Spend
Total estimated units / number of drinks:
Number of drinks on arrival & momentous drinks:
Total units less drink on arrival & momentous drinks:
The average cost of a drink
Equals estimated bar spend (incl taxes):
If subsidised enter the % you as the host will cover?
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