When it comes to party beverages nothing is set in stone. The following is a useful guide devised by our staff to help give you an idea of how much alcohol you will need to keep everyone happy at your party.
*All events are figured by the amount of people, nature of the event, and duration of party
Weddings and sparkling wine/champagne go hand in hand. Expect to get a lot of bubbly for the big day. A 750ML bottle of sparkling wine/champagne (standard size) will give you 5 glasses at 5 oz pours... which is a typical champagne flute. So if you have 50 guests you will need to get at least 10 bottles just to cover the celebratory toast to the couple. If you plan on anyone even considering having more than a single glass you should play it safe and get a full case (12 bottles). Most of our customers get extra just in case...and if you happen to have leftover bottles you can make mimosa's (orange juice and champagne) in the morning. The next big thing is beer. Kegs are a great way to supply beer to larger gatherings. A 1/2 barrel keg (the larger keg) will give you 165 drinks in 12 oz glasses. Pony keg 1/4 barrel will give you 83 12 oz glasses. If you don't want to mess with deposits and equipment 20 packs of bottled beer are the next popular choice. Expect to get a least 5 or 6 of those to satisfy most of your guests. Next would be spirits. A 1.75L will give you around 39 shots at 1 1/2 oz pours. So if you anticipate some liquor drinkers that should be helpful. You know your friends and family better than we do so this guide should be able to help you tailor your reception to make it successful.
Dinner parties are a fun and tasteful way to essentially hang out with friends or show them your new place. This is one of the few events where beer typically takes the back seat and lets wine take over. Many customers enjoy choosing pre-dinner, at dinner (wines that would compliment their food) and post-dinner wines like dessert wines to give their party a little extra. A 750ML bottle of wine will give you 5 glasses at 5oz pours. If a single guest enjoys one glass every 30 minutes than they will need 6 glasses for 3 hours. So you will need to figure roughly a bottle per person. Most people will always get extra wine just to make sure they don't run out. If your party runs longer you will need to figure a bottle and a 1/2 per person. A lot of people also enjoy spirits after dinner so select which type and use this as a guideline. You will get 16 shots of liquor from a 750ML so adjust accordingly. As long as the food and drinks keep flowing everyone walks away happy.
Most birthday and anniversary parties focus on lighter drinks such as beer and champagne/sparkling wines. People offer their congratulations, chat politely and have a few drinks. In these events its best to keep it simple. Such as sticking to 1 or 2 different types of beer and bubbly. 3 cases (at 24 bottles case) would be the minimum to supply yourself with beer. Then roughly a half case (6 bottles) of champagne to toast. If you anticipate a longer party it would be wise to figure 4 drinks a person. Again, you know your guests better than we do so adjust accordingly. If you know your guests would enjoy cocktails over a brew than use this as a guide. 1LT of liquor will dispense roughly 22 proper ounce and a half shots. Your friends and family would more than likely have no problem telling you which type of beverage they would prefer.
Beer and liquor are the king and queen of these parties. Make sure to have plenty on hand to keep the gang happy. Best to have at least two 30 packs per 20 people for every couple hours. Drinking games can increase this (make sure to collect car keys before these start). As for liquor, buying the 1.75L bottles is a better value and will save money for more pizza! You will get around 39 shots out of each bottle. Bomb shots are very popular (energy drink and liquor), so make sure to stock up on energy drinks at our Smoke Shop for jager, vodka or tuaca bombs. Typically mixed bomb shots are half liquor and half energy drink. Also make sure to grab plenty of ice (best ice prices in town at R & J) for all the cocktails and coolers.