Free Online Calculators
Beer, wine & soft drinks for parties by guest count & duration
Party drinks: 2 per guest in the first hour, then 1 per hour, split by occasion into beer, wine, sparkling wine and soft drinks. Children get soft drinks only; water and ice come on top. The calculator gives cans, cases and bottles.
Plan 2 drinks per guest for the first hour and 1 per hour after that — 6 drinks for a 5-hour party. For 20 adults that is 45 cans of beer (12 oz), 6 bottles of wine, 2 of sparkling wine, 9 L of soft drinks and 15 L of water, plus about 1 lb of ice per guest. Children get soft drinks only.
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| Guests | Beer (12 oz cans) | Wine (750 ml bottles) | Sparkling wine (750 ml bottles) | Soft drinks (L) | Water (L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 4.5 | 7.5 |
| 20 | 45 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 15 |
| 30 | 67 | 9 | 3 | 13.5 | 22.5 |
| 40 | 90 | 12 | 4 | 18 | 30 |
| 50 | 112 | 15 | 4 | 22.5 | 37.5 |
| 75 | 168 | 23 | 6 | 33.8 | 56.3 |
| 100 | 224 | 30 | 8 | 45 | 75 |
| 150 | 335 | 45 | 12 | 67.5 | 112.5 |
2 in the first hour, then 1 per hour: 5 for a 4-hour party, 7 for 6 hours, plus water.
For 4 hours about 77 cans (12 oz), i.e. 4 cases of 24, if a little over half of the drinks are beer.
For an 8-hour wedding about 63 bottles of wine and 18 of sparkling wine for toasts and dinner.
About 1 lb (0.5 kg) per guest, more in hot weather.
Running out of drinks at a party is one of those unforgettable party fails. Buying too much, on the other hand, means wasted money and a fridge full of warm beer for weeks. Our free party drink calculator takes the guesswork out of planning, helping you calculate how much beer, wine, sparkling wine, and soft drinks you need – based on guest count, event duration, and the type of occasion.
The calculator is designed to be fast and intuitive. Simply enter a few key details and get an instant breakdown of recommended drink quantities. No spreadsheets, no guesswork – just solid estimates based on a proven planning rule of thumb.
The calculator plans 2 drinks per guest in the first hour, then 1 per hour, so a 5-hour party means 6 drinks per guest. Water and ice come on top. Results are shown in 12 oz cans, cases of 24, bottles, and liters. Season and weather are not inputs – for hot days, the note suggests adding about 20% more water and ice.
Good party planning goes beyond decorations and playlists. The drinks are often what guests remember most. Underestimating quantities can leave your guests dry halfway through the evening. Overestimating leads to unnecessary spending and potential waste – especially with alcohol, which can't always be returned to the store.
Whether you're hosting a birthday party, a wedding reception, a corporate event, or a casual backyard BBQ, having the right amount of drinks on hand is essential for a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone.
The calculator splits all drinks by occasion: a party gets 40% beer, 25% wine, 10% sparkling wine, and 25% soft drinks; a BBQ 55% beer and no sparkling wine; a wedding more wine (35%) and sparkling wine (15%). Each drink counts as 0.33 liters of beer, 0.15 liters of wine (5 glasses per bottle), 0.1 liters of sparkling wine, or 0.3 liters of soft drink. On top come 0.15 liters of water per person per hour and 0.5 kg of ice per person.
You're throwing a birthday party for 30 adults, running about 5 hours. With the party/birthday occasion, that's 6 drinks per guest, or 180 drinks in total. The calculator recommends about 24 liters of beer (67 cans of 12 oz, 3 cases of 24), 9 bottles of wine, 3 bottles of sparkling wine, 13.5 liters of soft drinks, 22.5 liters of water, and 15 kg of ice. That's a solid, well-balanced estimate that covers you without major leftovers.
A wedding with 100 guests lasting 8 hours means 9 drinks per guest. The calculator suggests about 89 liters of beer (251 cans, 11 cases), 63 bottles of wine, 18 bottles of sparkling wine, 54 liters of soft drinks, 120 liters of water, and 50 kg of ice – a reliable total to work with when negotiating with caterers or ordering from wholesale suppliers.
Outdoor events in summer see noticeably higher consumption – particularly water and non-alcoholic beverages. Choose the company event occasion, where 30% of drinks are soft drinks, and add about 20% more water and ice yourself on a hot day; the calculator does not adjust for the weather automatically.
Trying to calculate drink quantities by hand for a large event is time-consuming and error-prone. Balancing different drink types, adults and children, and event duration across a mental calculation or even a spreadsheet is genuinely tricky. Our online drink calculator does all of this instantly, freeing you up to focus on the fun parts of party planning.
It depends on duration and occasion. At a 4-hour party, each adult has 5 drinks, 40% of them beer – about 0.66 liters (roughly two 12 oz cans) per person. At a BBQ, with 55% beer, it's about 0.9 liters. Our calculator adjusts this automatically based on duration, occasion, and guest count.
For 20 adults at a 4-hour party, the calculator plans 5 standard bottles of wine (750 ml each) plus 2 bottles of sparkling wine. For a wedding of the same length it's 7 bottles of wine and 2 of sparkling wine, because the wine share is higher.
Yes. Enter all guests in the children field – children are planned with soft drinks only (0.3 liters per drink). You then get soft drink, water, and ice quantities without any beer, wine, or sparkling wine.
Not automatically. Season and weather are not inputs. For hot days and outdoor events, the note in the calculator suggests adding about 20% more water and ice.
Yes, it is completely free with no registration required. Just open it in your browser, enter your event details, and get instant results – no app download or sign-up needed.