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How Much Spirits for a 10 Guest Wedding?

🥃
4
bottles of spirits

For a 10-guest wedding lasting 5 hours

15% buffer included
45
Total servings
4.5
Per person
+1
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

10 guests × 80% drinking rate
= 8 drinkers

At small events, about 80% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

8 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 5 hours
= 60 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)
= 45 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply wedding modifier

× 1 (0% for spirits)
= 45 spirits servings needed

Weddings have standard spirits consumption.

5

Convert to bottles

45 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 2.6 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

2.6 × 1.15 = 3.0, rounded up
= 4 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 10 bottles 113 servings
50 guests 20 bottles 225 servings
75 guests 30 bottles 338 servings
100 guests 40 bottles 450 servings
150 guests 60 bottles 675 servings
200 guests 80 bottles 900 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🥃
Spirits
The main event
4
bottles

Don't forget these

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

Pro Tips for Your Wedding

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

40% of all alcohol is consumed during cocktail hour - front-load your bar staff and ice.

⏰

Offer 1-2 signature cocktails instead of a full bar to cut spirit costs by 40% and speed up service.

🎯

Pre-pour wine at dinner tables 5 minutes before guests sit to prevent service bottlenecks.

🧊

Order 10-15% extra and ask vendors about their return policy on unopened bottles.

✨

If dancing goes past 10pm, reopen a simplified bar: beer, wine, and 2 signature drinks only.

🛒 Buying Guide

For weddings, plan a 60/40 split between red and white wine for fall/winter, or flip it for spring/summer. Budget $12-18 per bottle for a crowd-pleasing selection - guests can't tell the difference between $15 and $40 wine at a party. Consider having champagne for toasts separate from your open bar calculation.

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