How much beer do I need for 40 guests?

You need 7 cases of beer for 40 guests at a holiday party. This provides 132 total servings with a 15% buffer to ensure you don't run out.

How much beer per person for a holiday party?

Plan for 3.3 servings of beer 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 case of beer?

One case of beer contains 24 servings. For 40 guests, you'll need 7 cases to provide 132 total servings.

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

At a holiday party with 40 guests, approximately 30 guests (75%) will actively drink. Our formula accounts for this when calculating the 7 cases you need.

Should I buy extra beer as a buffer?

Yes! Our calculation of 7 cases already includes a 15% buffer (1 extra cases). 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 7 cases of beer last for 40 guests?

7 cases of beer will last approximately 4 hours for 40 guests at a holiday party. This calculation factors in the natural slowdown of consumption as the event progresses.

Calculate a different drink for this event

🍷 Wine 🍺 Beer viewing 🥂 Champagne 🥃 Spirits

How Much Beer for a 40 Guest Holiday Party?

You will need approx.

🍺

cases of beer

For a 40-guest holiday party lasting 4 hours

info 15% buffer included

132

Total servings

3.3

Per person

Buffer cases

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

Estimate actual drinkers

40 guests × 75% drinking rate

= 30 drinkers

At medium events, about 75% of guests typically drink alcohol.

Calculate base consumption

30 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 4 hours

= 180 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)

= 146 adjusted drinks

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

Apply holiday party modifier

× 0.9 (-10% for beer)

= 132 beer servings needed

Holiday Partys typically consume 10% less beer than average.

Convert to cases

132 servings ÷ 24 servings per case

= 5.5 cases (raw)

Each case of beer provides 24 servings.

Add 15% buffer & round up

5.5 × 1.15 = 6.3, rounded up

= 7 cases

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: Beer by Guest Count

Guests	Beer Needed	Total Servings
25 guests	5 cases	83 servings
50 guests	9 cases	165 servings
75 guests	14 cases	248 servings
100 guests	18 cases	330 servings
150 guests	27 cases	495 servings
200 guests	35 cases	660 servings

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

The Essentials

🍺 7 cases Beer

84 lbs Ice (Keep those beers cold!)

4 coolers Coolers (2 cases per cooler) Buy

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The Host's Secret

Editorial Curation

ATMOSPHERE

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

Pro Tip #1

PREPARATION

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

Pro Tip #2

TIMING

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

Pro Tip #3

SERVICE

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

Pro Tip #4

PRESENTATION

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

Pro Tip #5

🛒

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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