How much wine do I need for 125 guests?

You need 123 bottles of wine for 125 guests at a holiday party. This provides 533 total servings with a 15% buffer to ensure you don't run out.

How much wine per person for a holiday party?

Plan for 4.3 servings of wine per person at a holiday party. This accounts for the fact that not everyone drinks alcohol and consumption naturally slows as the event progresses.

How many servings are in a bottle of wine?

One bottle of wine contains 5 servings. For 125 guests, you'll need 123 bottles to provide 533 total servings.

What percentage of guests will drink wine at a holiday party?

At a holiday party with 125 guests, approximately 88 guests (70%) will actively drink. Our formula accounts for this when calculating the 123 bottles you need.

Should I buy extra wine as a buffer?

Yes! Our calculation of 123 bottles already includes a 15% buffer (16 extra bottles). This ensures you won't run out even if some guests drink more than average. It's always better to have leftovers than to run short.

How long will 123 bottles of wine last for 125 guests?

123 bottles of wine will last approximately 4 hours for 125 guests at a holiday party. This calculation factors in the natural slowdown of consumption as the event progresses.

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How Much Wine for a 125 Guest Holiday Party?

🍷

123

bottles of wine

For a 125-guest holiday party lasting 4 hours

15% buffer included

533

Total servings

4.3

Per person

+16

Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

Estimate actual drinkers

125 guests × 70% drinking rate

= 88 drinkers

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

Calculate base consumption

88 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 4 hours

= 528 base drinks

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

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 3.25)

= 429 adjusted drinks

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

Apply holiday party modifier

× 1.25 (+25% for wine)

= 533 wine servings needed

Holiday Partys typically consume 25% more wine than average.

Convert to bottles

533 servings ÷ 5 servings per bottle

= 106.6 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of wine provides 5 servings.

Add 15% buffer & round up

106.6 × 1.15 = 122.6, rounded up

= 123 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	25 bottles	107 servings
50 guests	50 bottles	213 servings
75 guests	74 bottles	320 servings
100 guests	99 bottles	426 servings
150 guests	148 bottles	640 servings
200 guests	197 bottles	853 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🍷

Wine

The main event

123

bottles

Don't forget these

Wine opener/corkscrew (Have a backup!)

2 pieces
Buy
Wine glasses (or plastic) (2 per drinker for variety)

176 glasses
Buy

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Pro Tips for Your Holiday Party

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

Red wine outsells white 2:1 at winter holidays - adjust accordingly.

⏰

Festive signature cocktails are expected - plan for mixers like cranberry juice and eggnog.

🎯

70% of champagne at NYE is consumed between 11:30pm and 12:15am - time your chilling.

🧊

Warm drinks like mulled wine and hot toddies are crowd pleasers in cold months.

✨

People drink 20% more at company holiday parties than other corporate events.

🛒 Buying Guide

Holiday parties call for festive options. Stock extra red wine and have ingredients for 1-2 seasonal cocktails (mulled wine, spiked cider, or classic eggnog). For NYE specifically, double your champagne order and have everything chilled by 11pm.

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