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How Much Spirits for a 10 Guest Wedding Shower?

You will need approx.

🥃
2
bottles of spirits

For a 10-guest wedding shower lasting 3 hours

info 15% buffer included
16
Total servings
1.6
Per person
+1
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

10 guests × 80% drinking rate
= 8 drinkers

At small events, about 80% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

8 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 3 hours
= 36 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 3-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 2.65)
= 32 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply wedding shower modifier

× 0.5 (-50% for spirits)
= 16 spirits servings needed

Wedding Showers typically consume 50% less spirits than average.

5

Convert to bottles

16 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 0.9 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

0.9 × 1.15 = 1.0, rounded up
= 2 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 40 servings
50 guests 10 bottles 80 servings
75 guests 15 bottles 120 servings
100 guests 20 bottles 160 servings
150 guests 30 bottles 240 servings
200 guests 40 bottles 320 servings

* All calculations include a 15% buffer. Amounts for wedding shower.

The Essentials

🥃 2 bottles Spirits
6 liters Mixers (soda, tonic, juice) (Variety is key)
16 lbs Ice (~2 lbs per person)
16 glasses Cocktail glasses (2 per drinker) Buy
2 pieces Garnishes (limes, lemons)

The Host's Secret

Editorial Curation

ATMOSPHERE

"Mimosa bars are the gold standard. Stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests, plus orange juice and peach nectar for variety."

Pro Tip #1
PREPARATION

"Skip heavy reds. Go 70% white/rosé (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc) and 30% light red (Pinot Noir)."

Pro Tip #2
TIMING

"Create one signature cocktail (Aperol Spritz, French 75) and batch it ahead of time - plan 2 servings per guest."

Pro Tip #3
SERVICE

"25-30% of guests won't drink alcohol. Offer elegant non-alcoholic options like mocktails or flavored sparkling water."

Pro Tip #4
PRESENTATION

"Afternoon timing means lower consumption - most guests have 1-2 drinks max."

Pro Tip #5
🛒

Buying Guide

For a 2-3 hour afternoon shower, plan for 1.3 drinks per guest. Champagne and wine dominate - stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests for mimosas, plus 1 wine bottle per 2 drinking guests. Buy 10-15% extra; unopened bottles can be returned or saved for the wedding. Prosecco is cost-effective for mimosas; save real Champagne for the toast.

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