How much alcohol for 100 wedding guests?

By Forever Farrah Published 2026-10-19.

For 100 guests over a five-hour bar, buy about 55 bottles of wine, 165 beers and 7 bottles of spirits, plus 20 of sparkling for the toast.

For 100 wedding guests and a five-hour bar, plan about 550 drinks: roughly 55 bottles of wine (about 5 cases), 165 bottles or cans of beer and 7 bottles of spirits. Add 20 bottles of sparkling wine if everyone gets a glass for the toast. That assumes one drink per guest per hour, a 10% buffer, and a split of half wine, 30% beer and 20% spirits.

How the 550 drinks are worked out

100 guests × 5 hours × 1 drink an hour × 1.1 buffer = 550 drinks.

Split by what people drink, that is 275 glasses of wine, 165 beers and 110 spirit measures. A 750 ml bottle pours about 5 glasses of wine or about 16 measures of spirits, and every bottle count is rounded up.

If your bar is open longer or shorter

Alcohol for 100 wedding guests by hours of bar service

Bar open	Drinks	Wine (bottles)	Beer	Spirits (750 ml)
4 hours	440	44	132	6
5 hours	550	55	165	7
6 hours	660	66	198	8

If your guests drink differently

The split matters as much as the total. Shift it toward what your guests actually order.

Bottles for 100 guests over five hours by drink mix (wine / beer / spirits %)

Mix	Wine (bottles)	Beer	Spirits (750 ml)
Mostly wine (70 / 20 / 10)	76	110	4
Our default (50 / 30 / 20)	55	165	7
Beer-heavy (30 / 60 / 10)	33	330	4
Cocktail-heavy (30 / 20 / 50)	33	110	17

Serving only beer and wine? At 60% wine and 40% beer, 100 guests need about 66 bottles of wine and 220 beers. Wine only, it is about 109 bottles.

Ways to buy less without running out

• Not everyone drinks. If a quarter of your guests won't, take a quarter off every number above, or set it in the calculator below.
• Ask about sale or return. Many shops take back unopened bottles, so you can buy to the top of the range.
• Close the bar during dinner if wine is on the tables, and count the dinner wine once.
• Ask your venue what is included. Some packages already cover the toast or a house wine.

Change the guest count, hours or mix to see your own numbers:

How much alcohol do you need for your wedding?

Planning for a different number? Alcohol for 75 guests or Alcohol for 125 guests. For the method behind every number, read how much alcohol you need for a wedding.

Frequently asked questions

How much wine do I need for 100 wedding guests?

About 55 bottles if half of all drinks are wine over a five-hour bar, plus 20 bottles of sparkling for the toast. If wine is most of what your guests drink, plan nearer 76.

How much beer do I need for 100 wedding guests?

About 165 bottles or cans if beer is 30% of drinks, which is 7 cases of 24. A beer-heavy crowd can take 330.

How many bottles of liquor for 100 guests?

About 7 bottles of 750 ml if spirits are 20% of drinks. For a full cocktail bar at half of all drinks, plan 17.