Alcohol for 100 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 100 guests, worked out with the WedCalc wedding defaults: 85 percent of guests drinking, a 5-hour reception, average drinking level, a 30/40/20/10 beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic mix, a signature cocktail, a champagne toast and 1 lb of ice per guest.
Shopping list for 100 guests
Each drinker is allowed 6 drinks (2 in the first hour, then 1 per hour over 5 hours at the average level). That is 85 drinkers and 510 drinker drinks in total, split by the mix above. Buy quantities are rounded up to whole cases, bottles, packs and bags.
| Item | Drinks needed | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | 153 cans | 7 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 204 glasses | 41 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 100 toast glasses | 20 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 187 drinks | 11 x 750ml bottles (or 5 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 85 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 141 drinks | 12 x 12-packs (141 cans) |
| Ice | 100 lb | 10 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 100 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 41 bottles | $12.00 | $492.00 |
| Champagne | 20 bottles | $14.00 | $280.00 |
| Beer | 7 cases | $19.00 | $133.00 |
| Spirits | 11 bottles | $22.00 | $242.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 12 12-packs | $7.00 | $84.00 |
| Ice | 10 bags | $3.00 | $30.00 |
| Estimated total | $1,261.00 | ||
Your numbers will differ if your guests, hours, mix or prices differ. Open the wedding drink calculator to change any of them and get a list built for your day.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for 100 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (100 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 153 beer cans, 204 wine glasses, 187 spirits drinks and 141 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 7 cases of beer, 41 bottles of wine, 20 bottles of champagne, 11 bottles of spirits, 12 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 10 bags of ice, for $1,261.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 100 guests?
204 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 41 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 20 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 100 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 153 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 7 cases.
How much ice do I need for 100 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 100 guests need 100 lb of ice, which is 10 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 100 guests?
At the example prices on this page (wine $12.00, champagne $14.00, beer $19.00 a case, spirits $22.00, non-alcoholic $7.00 a 12-pack, ice $3.00 a bag), the total is $1,261.00: $492.00 wine, $280.00 champagne, $133.00 beer, $242.00 spirits, $84.00 non-alcoholic and $30.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 100 guests?
141 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 15 non-drinkers. That buys as 141 cans, or 12 packs of 12.