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How Much Wine for a 100 Guest Graduation Party?

🍷
55
bottles of wine

For a 100-guest graduation party lasting 4 hours

15% buffer included
239
Total servings
2.4
Per person
+7
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

100 guests × 70% drinking rate
= 70 drinkers

At large events, about 70% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

70 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 4 hours
= 420 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 4-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 3.25)
= 341 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply graduation party modifier

× 0.7 (-30% for wine)
= 239 wine servings needed

Graduation Partys typically consume 30% less wine than average.

5

Convert to bottles

239 servings ÷ 5 servings per bottle
= 47.8 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of wine provides 5 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

47.8 × 1.15 = 55.0, rounded up
= 55 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: Wine by Guest Count

Guests Wine Needed Total Servings
25 guests 14 bottles 60 servings
50 guests 28 bottles 120 servings
75 guests 42 bottles 179 servings
100 guests (you) 55 bottles 239 servings
150 guests 83 bottles 359 servings
200 guests 110 bottles 478 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🍷
Wine
The main event
55
bottles

Don't forget these

  • Wine opener/corkscrew (Have a backup!)
    2 pieces
    Buy
  • Wine glasses (or plastic) (2 per drinker for variety)
    140 glasses
    Buy

Pro Tips for Your Graduation Party

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

Set up a visible '21+ only' bar area and a killer mocktail station so younger guests feel included.

Parents of graduates drink about 30% less than the graduate's friends - plan your ratios accordingly.

🎯

Keep champagne cold but corked until group photo time - pop bottles for the shot!

🧊

Outdoor graduations in summer need extra cold drinks and 2x the ice you think you need.

Mix of generations means variety is key - have options for every age group.

🛒 Buying Guide

Graduation parties typically skew toward beer and lighter drinks. Stock up on popular light beers and have a good selection of non-alcoholic options since many guests will be under 21. Sparkling cider is a great champagne alternative for toasts that includes everyone.

🎉

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