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How Much Spirits for a 75 Guest Wedding Shower?

🥃
8
bottles of spirits

For a 75-guest wedding shower lasting 3 hours

15% buffer included
112
Total servings
1.5
Per person
+1
Buffer bottles

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

× 0.5 (-50% for spirits)
= 112 spirits servings needed

Wedding Showers typically consume 50% less spirits than average.

5

Convert to bottles

112 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 6.6 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

6.6 × 1.15 = 7.6, rounded up
= 8 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 3 bottles 37 servings
50 guests 6 bottles 75 servings
75 guests (you) 8 bottles 112 servings
100 guests 11 bottles 149 servings
150 guests 16 bottles 224 servings
200 guests 22 bottles 299 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🥃
Spirits
The main event
8
bottles

Don't forget these

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

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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