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How Much Spirits for a 75 Guest Holiday Party?

🥃
22
bottles of spirits

For a 75-guest holiday party lasting 4 hours

15% buffer included
315
Total servings
4.2
Per person
+3
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

75 guests × 75% drinking rate
= 56 drinkers

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

2

Calculate base consumption

56 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 4 hours
= 336 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 4-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 3.25)
= 273 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply holiday party modifier

× 1.15 (+15% for spirits)
= 315 spirits servings needed

Holiday Partys typically consume 15% more spirits than average.

5

Convert to bottles

315 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 18.5 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

18.5 × 1.15 = 21.3, rounded up
= 22 bottles

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: Spirits by Guest Count

Guests Spirits Needed Total Servings
25 guests 8 bottles 105 servings
50 guests 15 bottles 210 servings
75 guests (you) 22 bottles 315 servings
100 guests 30 bottles 420 servings
150 guests 44 bottles 630 servings
200 guests 59 bottles 840 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🥃
Spirits
The main event
22
bottles

Don't forget these

  • Mixers (soda, tonic, juice) (Variety is key)
    105 liters
  • Ice (~2 lbs per person)
    112 lbs
  • Cocktail glasses (2 per drinker)
    112 glasses
    Buy
  • Garnishes (limes, lemons)
    40 pieces

Pro Tips for Your Holiday Party

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

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

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

🎯

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

🧊

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

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

🛒 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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