How Much Alcohol to Buy for a Holiday Party (Plus Ice, Mixers and Zero-Proof Drinks)

Running out of drinks halfway through a holiday party is stressful, and so is a closet full of leftover bottles. Planning how much to buy is mostly simple math: a rough guest count, the length of the party and a sense of what your crowd likes. Everyone you serve alcohol to should be 21 or over, and every guest, drinking or not, deserves something good in their glass.

Start with a simple planning rule

Many hosts plan on about one drink per guest per hour, with a little extra for the first hour, when people arrive thirsty. This is a planning rule of thumb for buying supplies, not a guide to how much anyone should drink. Some guests will have one drink all night, some will skip alcohol entirely, and a few will have more.

The basic sum looks like this:

• Guests who drink alcohol multiplied by party hours gives you a rough number of drinks.
• Add a buffer of about 10 to 20 percent so you don’t run short.
• Subtract nothing for guests who don’t drink alcohol; plan for them separately with zero-proof options.

For example, 20 drinking guests at a three-hour party works out to about 60 drinks, or roughly 70 with a buffer.

How many drinks are in a bottle?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines a U.S. standard drink as about 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. That’s the amount in a 12-ounce regular beer at about 5 percent alcohol, a 5-ounce glass of wine at about 12 percent, or a 1.5-ounce pour of 80-proof spirits. Those serving sizes make the shopping math easy:

• Wine: a standard 750 ml bottle holds about 25 ounces, which is about five 5-ounce glasses.
• Spirits: a 750 ml bottle gives about sixteen 1.5-ounce pours. A 1.75-liter bottle gives about thirty-nine.
• Beer and seltzer: one can or bottle is usually one serving. Note that strong craft beers can hold close to two standard drinks in a single 12-ounce bottle, and NIAAA notes that hard seltzers and malt beverages vary too.

Measuring each pour with a jigger keeps those numbers honest. A heavy free pour can turn a 16-pour bottle into a 10-pour bottle, and it makes drinks stronger than guests expect. Our guide to pour counts explains how to pour accurately.

Split the total by what your guests drink

Once you have a drink total, divide it among wine, beer and spirits based on your crowd. There’s no single right split. A dinner party leans toward wine, a game-day gathering toward beer, and a cocktail party toward spirits. If you’re not sure, a balanced starting point is roughly half wine, a quarter beer and a quarter cocktails, then adjust for the people you know.

With that split, the 70-drink example works out to about seven bottles of wine, a mixed case of beer and one 750 ml bottle of your main spirit for cocktails.

Unopened bottles keep well, so many hosts round up rather than down. Check the return policy where you buy; some stores accept unopened bottles back, but rules vary by state and store.

Keep the cocktail menu short

Most parties don’t need a full bar. One or two signature drinks are easier on you and feel more festive:

1. Pick one batchable cocktail. A punch or a pitcher drink lets guests serve themselves. Our Thanksgiving drinks guide has a cider punch with a zero-proof base, and the warm winter drinks bar covers hot drinks for cold nights.
2. Add one simple highball. A spirit and a mixer over ice is fast to make and easy to keep consistent.
3. Prep ahead. Juice citrus, cut garnishes and chill bottles before guests arrive. Our dinner party bartending tricks cover batching and setup.

Ready-to-drink canned cocktails are another shortcut for a busy host; our post on ready-to-drink cocktails covers what to look for.

Don’t forget ice and mixers

Ice is the item hosts most often run short on. A common planning rule of thumb is about one pound of ice per guest, and more if you’re chilling bottles in tubs or the party runs long. Keep drinking ice separate from the ice you use to chill cans. Our tips on ice molds help if you want clear cubes for cocktails.

For mixers, plan on about one bottle or can for every two or three mixed drinks, plus extra soda water, which doubles as a drink for guests taking a break. Add citrus, plenty of water, and about two cups or glasses per guest, since people set drinks down and forget them.

Plan zero-proof drinks on purpose

Some guests won’t drink alcohol: drivers, people who are pregnant or taking medicine, people in recovery, and plenty who simply prefer not to. Give them something as thoughtful as the cocktails.

• Make a zero-proof version of your signature drink, such as the punch without the spirit.
• Offer sparkling cider or sparkling juice for toasts.
• Set out a few fun garnishes, like citrus wheels, cranberries and rosemary, so every glass looks festive.

Put the zero-proof options right next to the cocktails, not hidden on a separate table, so nobody has to ask.

Host safely

A good party is one where everyone gets home safely. A few habits make a big difference:

• Serve food the whole time, not just at the start.
• Keep water visible and easy to reach.
• Check ages if you don’t know a guest; alcohol is for adults 21 and over.
• Stop serving anyone who seems intoxicated, and offer a zero-proof drink instead.
• Close the bar about an hour before the party ends, and switch to coffee, tea and dessert.
• Plan rides home. Offer to call a ride, encourage designated drivers, or make up the couch.

If you’d rather not play bartender at all, our guide to hiring a mobile bartender explains what a hired pro handles, including checking IDs.

Gear that makes hosting easier

A basic kit with a shaker and a jigger makes measured pours easy, and a rocks glass with engraved measurement lines lets you build highballs without extra tools. For ideas on what to keep in the pantry, The Bartender’s Pantry is a useful reference. For the countdown, see our New Year’s Eve drinks guide.

FAQ

How much wine do I need for 20 guests?

For a three-hour party where most guests drink wine, plan on about 12 bottles: 20 guests times three drinks is 60 glasses, and each bottle pours about five. If wine is one of several choices, you’ll need fewer.

How many shots are in a bottle of liquor?

A 750 ml bottle holds about sixteen 1.5-ounce pours, the size of one U.S. standard drink of 80-proof spirits.

Should I offer a full bar?

Not usually. One batchable drink, one easy highball, wine, beer and a good zero-proof option cover most home parties and keep costs and cleanup down.

We run the NicheStuff store; some links in this post go to products we sell.