Alcohol for 50 Guests
The full drink shopping list for a wedding with 50 guests, worked out with the WedCalc wedding defaults: 85 percent of guests drinking, a 5-hour reception, average drinking level, a 30/40/20/10 beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic mix, a signature cocktail, a champagne toast and 1 lb of ice per guest.
Shopping list for 50 guests
Each drinker is allowed 6 drinks (2 in the first hour, then 1 per hour over 5 hours at the average level). That is 42 drinkers and 255 drinker drinks in total, split by the mix above. Buy quantities are rounded up to whole cases, bottles, packs and bags.
| Item | Drinks needed | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | 76 cans | 4 x 24-can cases |
| Wine | 102 glasses | 21 x 750ml bottles |
| Champagne (toast) | 50 toast glasses | 10 x 750ml bottles |
| Spirits | 94 drinks | 6 x 750ml bottles (or 3 x 1.75L) |
| Signature cocktail servings | 42 servings (counted in spirits above) | included |
| Non-alcoholic | 70 drinks | 6 x 12-packs (71 cans) |
| Ice | 50 lb | 5 x 10 lb bags |
Cost for 50 guests at example prices
| Item | Buy quantity | Example price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine | 21 bottles | $12.00 | $252.00 |
| Champagne | 10 bottles | $14.00 | $140.00 |
| Beer | 4 cases | $19.00 | $76.00 |
| Spirits | 6 bottles | $22.00 | $132.00 |
| Non-alcoholic | 6 12-packs | $7.00 | $42.00 |
| Ice | 5 bags | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| Estimated total | $657.00 | ||
Your numbers will differ if your guests, hours, mix or prices differ. Open the wedding drink calculator to change any of them and get a list built for your day.
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for 50 guests at a wedding?
At the wedding defaults used on this page (50 guests, 85 percent drinkers, 5 hours, average level), you need 76 beer cans, 102 wine glasses, 94 spirits drinks and 70 non-alcoholic drinks. That buys as 4 cases of beer, 21 bottles of wine, 10 bottles of champagne, 6 bottles of spirits, 6 non-alcoholic 12-packs and 5 bags of ice, for $657.00 at the example prices.
How many bottles of wine do I need for 50 guests?
102 wine glasses divided by 5 glasses per 750ml bottle, rounded up, is 21 bottles. The champagne toast is separate and adds 10 bottles.
How much beer do I need for 50 guests?
Beer is 30 percent of the drinker mix, giving 76 cans. Divided by 24 cans per case and rounded up, that is 4 cases.
How much ice do I need for 50 guests?
At 1 lb of ice per guest, 50 guests need 50 lb of ice, which is 5 bags of 10 lb.
How much will drinks cost for 50 guests?
At the example prices on this page (wine $12.00, champagne $14.00, beer $19.00 a case, spirits $22.00, non-alcoholic $7.00 a 12-pack, ice $3.00 a bag), the total is $657.00: $252.00 wine, $140.00 champagne, $76.00 beer, $132.00 spirits, $42.00 non-alcoholic and $15.00 ice.
How many non-alcoholic drinks do I need for 50 guests?
70 drinks: the non-alcoholic share of the drinker mix plus 6 drinks for each of the 8 non-drinkers. That buys as 71 cans, or 6 packs of 12.