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How Much Spirits for a 300 Guest March Madness Party?

🥃
55
bottles of spirits

For a 300-guest march madness party lasting 4 hours

15% buffer included
808
Total servings
2.7
Per person
+7
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

300 guests × 65% drinking rate
= 195 drinkers

At xlarge events, about 65% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

195 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 4 hours
= 1170 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)
= 951 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply march madness party modifier

× 0.85 (-15% for spirits)
= 808 spirits servings needed

March Madness Partys typically consume 15% less spirits than average.

5

Convert to bottles

808 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 47.5 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

47.5 × 1.15 = 54.6, rounded up
= 55 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 5 bottles 67 servings
50 guests 10 bottles 135 servings
75 guests 14 bottles 202 servings
100 guests 19 bottles 269 servings
150 guests 28 bottles 404 servings
200 guests 37 bottles 539 servings

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

Your Shopping List

Everything you need, plus essentials you might forget

🥃
Spirits
The main event
55
bottles

Don't forget these

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

Pro Tips for Your March Madness Party

Insider advice from experienced bartenders

💡

Games run back-to-back during opening weekend - people may stay 6-8 hours.

Stock light beers for marathon watching sessions.

🎯

Multiple games mean multiple peaks - don't front-load everything.

🧊

Have non-alcoholic options for designated drivers and early bracket busts.

Weekend games have 30% higher consumption than weekday games.

🛒 Buying Guide

March Madness parties are beer-heavy but lighter than Super Bowl (longer duration, people pace themselves). Stock 70% light beers. Have coolers at every TV location. Plan 4-5 beers per person for a 4-hour session.

🎉

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