How drinks per guest calculator works
The planning math starts with drinking pace. The rule of thumb is one drink per person per hour, and most hosts land between that and a livelier 1.5. This tool offers three intensity settings — light (0.75), average (1) and lively (1.5) drinks per person-hour — and multiplies by guests and hours for the total drink count. Ten guests at a four-hour average party is 40 drinks.
Total drinks split across four categories using the percentage mix you set — for example 40% beer, 25% wine, 25% cocktails and 10% soft drinks. Each category rounds up to a whole serving, then converts to what you actually buy: 355 ml beer cans grouped into 12-packs, wine as 750 ml bottles at five glasses each, cocktails as 750 ml spirits bottles (about sixteen 1.5 oz shots) with 2 L mixers, and soft-drink cans.
The often-forgotten items are in the same list: 500 ml water bottles at 250 ml per person-hour, ice at a quarter pound per person-hour, and cups at one fresh cup per guest every two hours with a two-cup minimum. Every number appears in a copy-ready shopping list you can paste into a note or a group chat.