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How Much Beer for a 75 Guest Wedding Shower?

🍺
4
cases of beer

For a 75-guest wedding shower lasting 3 hours

15% buffer included
67
Total servings
0.9
Per person
+1
Buffer cases

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

75 guests × 75% drinking rate
= 56 drinkers

At medium events, about 75% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

56 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 3 hours
= 252 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 3-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 2.65)
= 223 adjusted drinks

People drink faster in the first hour and slow down as the event progresses.

4

Apply wedding shower modifier

× 0.3 (-70% for beer)
= 67 beer servings needed

Wedding Showers typically consume 70% less beer than average.

5

Convert to cases

67 servings ÷ 24 servings per case
= 2.8 cases (raw)

Each case of beer provides 24 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

2.8 × 1.15 = 3.2, rounded up
= 4 cases

Always round up and add a buffer. Running out is worse than having leftovers!

* Why trust this formula?

Based on industry standards and refined by bartenders with 30+ years of experience. We factor in consumption decay (people drink less as events progress) and real-world drinking percentages.

📊 Quick Reference: Beer by Guest Count

Guests Beer Needed Total Servings
25 guests 2 cases 22 servings
50 guests 3 cases 45 servings
75 guests (you) 4 cases 67 servings
100 guests 6 cases 89 servings
150 guests 8 cases 134 servings
200 guests 11 cases 179 servings

* All calculations include a 15% buffer. Amounts for wedding shower.

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🍺
Beer
The main event
4
cases

Don't forget these

  • Ice (Keep those beers cold!)
    48 lbs
  • Coolers (2 cases per cooler)
    2 coolers
    Buy

Pro Tips for Your Wedding Shower

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

Mimosa bars are the gold standard. Stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests, plus orange juice and peach nectar for variety.

Skip heavy reds. Go 70% white/rosé (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc) and 30% light red (Pinot Noir).

🎯

Create one signature cocktail (Aperol Spritz, French 75) and batch it ahead of time - plan 2 servings per guest.

🧊

25-30% of guests won't drink alcohol. Offer elegant non-alcoholic options like mocktails or flavored sparkling water.

Afternoon timing means lower consumption - most guests have 1-2 drinks max.

🛒 Buying Guide

For a 2-3 hour afternoon shower, plan for 1.3 drinks per guest. Champagne and wine dominate - stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests for mimosas, plus 1 wine bottle per 2 drinking guests. Buy 10-15% extra; unopened bottles can be returned or saved for the wedding. Prosecco is cost-effective for mimosas; save real Champagne for the toast.

🎉

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