What to Consider When Buying Alcohol for a Party
Before you head out on your booze run, here are a few things to consider. First, how many options do you want to provide to guests? Are you throwing a beer-only event? Do you suspect that some of your guests will be happier with a glass of red or white wine in one hand? Or are you planning on playing at-home mixologist all evening? Ironically, the more options you have at your party, the more limitations you’ll be setting up for yourself as the night unfolds. If you only get a few bottles of red wine because you spent the rest of your money on a wide assortment of local beers and liquors, you’ll run out of red wine faster, and your wine-friends will be straight out of luck in the beverage department. Keep things simple by sticking to a small variety of beverages to lessen the chance that you’ll run out of any one option.
The next things to consider are how many guests will be at your party and how long your party will last. These are the biggest factors when deciding how much alcohol you’ll need for your party. Generally speaking, you can count on your guests drinking one beverage every hour. If you’re serving mostly beer, be safe and increase that number by 25%, since beer typically is consumed more quickly than a mixed drink or glass of wine.
If you’re keeping your beverage options limited to beer and wine only, it’s safe to assume that 60% of your guests will drink beer, and the other 40% will have wine.
Wine for a Party
If you’re buying wine for your party, the math for figuring out how much to buy is fairly simple. One standard bottle of wine contains 5 servings. To figure out how many bottles you’ll need in an hour, divide the number of wine-drinking guests by 5. For example, if 20 of your guests are drinking wine, the math would look like this:
20 (guests) ÷ 5 (servings) = 4 (bottles for one hour of partying)
Then to determine how many bottles you’ll need for your whole party, simply multiply by how many hours you plan on entertaining for. Let’s say those same 20 people are hanging out for 3 hours. The math would look like this:
4 (bottles) x 3 (hours) = 12 (bottles)
You’ll need 12 bottles of wine to keep 20 guests happy and buzzed for 3 hours. Simple!
Beer for a Party
Beer math is even easier because bottles and cans are single-serve, so there’s no need to divide by the amount of servings per container. Since beer-drinkers seem to go through alcohol faster than wine- or mixed drink-consumers, let’s change the math formula to account for that, and bump it up to 1.25 drinks consumed per hour. Let’s say you have 20 beer-drinking guests for the same 3-hour party. The math would look like this:
20 (guests) x 1.25 (servings) x 3 (hours) = 75 (bottles/cans needed)
You’ll need 75 cans or bottles of beer for 20 guests at a 3-hour party.
Liquor for a Party
Liquor is a little trickier, since you’ll need to account for both the liquor and the mixer. Plus, liquor bottles aren’t sold in standard sizes, so you may have to do some on-your-feet math when you get to the store. Here’s some things to consider:
A standard shot is about 1.5 ounces of liquor, and a standard mixed drink is 1 part alcohol to 4 parts soda/mixer.
Once you determine how many mixed drinks you can make from one bottle of liquor, the math is the same as before: Guests x Servings x Hours = The number of mixed drinks you’ll need
Non-Alcoholic Beverages for a Party
Tips on How to Save Money when Buying Alcohol for a Party
Alcohol guarantees a lively party, but it also gives that party a pretty hefty price tag. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can cut costs when shopping for spirits:
- Check for case deals: Some grocery and liquor stores will offer a 5-10% discount if you buy an unopened case of alcohol, versus buying opened bottles straight off the shelf. Ask a salesperson if this discount is available.
- Keep your receipts: Unopened, unused bottles of non-refrigerated alcohol can often be returned to where you purchased them from. Just be sure to verify what your liquor store’s return policy is before you buy!
- Avoid name brands: It can be tempting to want to purchase quality, high-shelf alcohol, but after everyone’s had a few drinks in them, no one will be the wiser to your off-brand booze. If you want to give off the impression that you have good taste, start the evening off with more expensive alcohol, and then sub out for cheaper booze as people get tipsier.
- Don’t serve ultra-light beer: It’s far too easy to drink can after can of ultra-light beer, which ultimately means you’ll go through it faster. Find a balance between substantial and heavy beverages and drinks that will keep people light enough to want to get out on the dance floor.
Food to Serve with Alcohol
Five Party-Ready Drink Recipes
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