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How Much Spirits for a 50 Guest Super Bowl Party?

🥃
12
bottles of spirits

For a 50-guest super bowl party lasting 5 hours

15% buffer included
169
Total servings
3.4
Per person
+2
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

50 guests × 75% drinking rate
= 38 drinkers

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

2

Calculate base consumption

38 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 5 hours
= 285 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 5-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 3.75)
= 214 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply super bowl party modifier

× 0.8 (-20% for spirits)
= 169 spirits servings needed

Super Bowl Partys typically consume 20% less spirits than average.

5

Convert to bottles

169 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 9.9 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

9.9 × 1.15 = 11.4, rounded up
= 12 bottles

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: Spirits by Guest Count

Guests Spirits Needed Total Servings
25 guests 6 bottles 85 servings
50 guests (you) 12 bottles 169 servings
75 guests 18 bottles 254 servings
100 guests 24 bottles 338 servings
150 guests 36 bottles 507 servings
200 guests 48 bottles 676 servings

* All calculations include a 15% buffer. Amounts for super bowl party.

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🥃
Spirits
The main event
12
bottles

Don't forget these

  • Mixers (soda, tonic, juice) (Variety is key)
    57 liters
  • Ice (~2 lbs per person)
    76 lbs
  • Cocktail glasses (2 per drinker)
    76 glasses
    Buy
  • Garnishes (limes, lemons)
    22 pieces

Pro Tips for Your Super Bowl Party

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

Stock beer by the quarter: Q1 (30%), Q2 (25%), Q3 (20%), Q4 (25%) of total consumption.

⏰

ALWAYS have 15% extra beer cold and ready - overtime games increase consumption by 50%.

🎯

Use halftime to restock ALL coolers - you have exactly 25 minutes.

🧊

Heavy food like wings and nachos reduces alcohol consumption by 15%.

✨

Light beers disappear fastest - they're easier to drink during a 4-hour game.

🛒 Buying Guide

This is a beer event, period. Stock 70% light/domestic beers and 30% craft/premium options. Have coolers pre-staged in multiple locations so guests can grab drinks without blocking the TV. Buy ice in bulk - you'll need 3lbs per person for a Super Bowl party.

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