Im having a party - how much should I plan on serving, and of what???

This is one of the first questions that hosts ask when planning an event. There are so many factors to consider - how many people, time of day, how much do your friends/family drink? Are you serving food? How long will your party last? Everyone has a guess, has a system, but there are variables that always come into play. Start with the basics: Beverage Options:
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Water (always) Non-alcoholic beverages such as soda (always) Wine (red, white, blush, sparkling) Beer (regular, light, microbrew) Bar drinks (Liquor - full liquor bar, signature drinks)

How many guests will be attending:

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Create a list of your guests and categorize each as "None," "Light," "Moderate," and "Heavy". This gives you an idea of the quantity each guest will generally drink.

How many hours will your event last?

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How long your event lasts determines how long your guests will consume drinks. Most people will taper off as the evening progresses, however, you will have those few that will be inclined to drink more as they get tipsier.

What will you be serving?

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Consider your guests and make a calculated guess at what their drink preference will be. Does Tom like a microbrew or will he prefer a bar drink if its available? Will Andrea prefer a glass of white wine or a fruity margarita? Signature Drinks are a great way to streamline your bar - it minimizes the need to have all the bar mixers and glasses, as well as limiting the alcohol you need to have on hand.

What Drink Ratio should you have on hand?

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Once you've narrowed the field with the above responses, then you need to determine your ratio of drinks. Beer drinkers tend to stick to beer throughout the event, while wine and cocktail drinkers may sample several choices. Generally, 40% beer, 30% cocktails/liquor and 30% wine is a good ratio. However, depending on your guest list, you may want to weight your options a little differently.

Doing the Math: On AVERAGE, during an event, your guests will consume the following alcohol:

Hour Drinks/Person Total Drinks/Person 1 2.5 2.5 2 1.5 4 3 1 5 4 .5 5.5 5+ .5 6 Average Per-Bottle servings:

750 ml bottle of wine: 5 servings (5 oz. pours) 750 bottle of spirits: 17 servings (1.5 oz. shots) Beer: 1 bottle = 1 serving. Pony (1/2 keg; 7.5 gallons) = 80 servings. Full keg (15.5 gallons) = 165 servings

So, what about the non-alcohol?? In addition to the alcohol, assume guests will drink one non-alcohol drink per hour. Assume 30% water and 70% non-alcohol beverages such as soda or flavored juices and drinks. Hour 1 2 3 4 5+ Alcohol Drinks/Person 2.5 1.5 1 .5 .5 Total Alcohol/Person 2.5 4 5 5.5 6 Non-alcohol Drinks/Person 1 1 1 1 1 Total Non-Alcohol Drinks/Person 1 2 3 4 5

Calculation: Alcohol Number of Guests X Total Alcohol/Person for the number of hours you plan.

Bar Drinks: Total X .3 Wine: Total Beer: Total X .3 X .4

Non Alcohol Number of Guests plan. Water: Total X .3 Other Beverage: Total X .7 X Total Non-Alcohol Drinks/Person for the number of hours you

Ex. A 4 hour party with 20 guests. Alcohol 20 X 5.5 = 110 total alcoholic drinks

Bar Drinks: 110 X .3 = 33 Wine: 110 X .3 = 33 Beer: 110 X .4 = 44

Non Alcohol 20 X 4 = 80 total non alcoholic drinks

Water: 80 X .3 = 24 Other Beverage: 80 X .7 = 56