How many drinks per guest? The rules of thumb for your party

In short: Count on one drink per guest per hour, two in the first hour. Add at least one litre of water per person – in a Mallorcan summer, more like one and a half. For a champagne reception, one bottle of prosecco serves about four guests; with dinner, one bottle of wine serves two.

There are two ways to plan a party. One ends at 11 pm with the question of who can still drive. The other ends with three crates of tonic sitting in the basement until Christmas. Both can be avoided – with a few rules of thumb caterers have been using for years.

The basic rule: one drink per guest per hour

Most guests drink about two drinks in the first hour, then one per hour. That gets you surprisingly far:

“Drink” here means: a glass of wine, a beer, a long drink or a glass of prosecco. Water doesn't count – you plan that separately.

Water: the thing that always runs out first

At least one litre per person, more like one and a half for outdoor parties in summer. In Mallorca it's still warm in the evenings in July and August, and anyone who dances drinks more. Still and sparkling water from Acqua Morelli is available in the WOW BAR, in glass or PET bottles.

Prosecco for the reception

One to two glasses per guest. A 0.75-litre bottle gives you six to seven glasses. So for 40 guests, ten to twelve bottles are enough – that's two cases of six. Anyone who doesn't want to drink gets an alcohol-free spumante – it looks just as festive in the glass.

Wine with dinner

Around half a bottle per guest for a dinner. With fish and in summer, more white and rosé; with meat, more red. Rule of thumb for the summer split: half white, a quarter rosé, a quarter red.

Long drinks: gin and tonic and co.

At 4 to 5 cl per drink, a 0.7-litre bottle of gin gives you about 14 to 17 gin and tonics. For each drink you need one small 0.2-litre bottle of tonic. So if you're counting on 100 gin and tonics, you need six to seven bottles of gin and a good four trays of Goldberg Tonic with 24 bottles each. The same maths applies to vodka with ginger beer or energy.

Don't forget the ice

Half a kilo to a kilo of ice per guest for the drinks, more in summer. If you're chilling bottles in tubs, you'll need the same amount again. Ice cubes in bulk packs are in the frozen range of the WOW MART.

Sample calculation: birthday with 30 guests

Pool party, starting at 6 pm, ending at 11 pm. Around 180 drinks, split roughly like this:

• Prosecco for the toast: 30 glasses → 5 bottles, so one case
• Beer: 60 bottles or cans → two to three trays of 24
• Wine: 40 glasses → 7 to 8 bottles
• Long drinks: 50 → 3 to 4 bottles of gin or vodka, 50 tonics or ginger beers
• Water: 30 to 45 litres
• Ice: 15 to 30 kilos

Rough guide values. You know best how much your guests drink.

Three tips from experience

• Better 10 percent more: Unopened bottles keep. An empty fridge at 10 pm doesn't.
• Think alcohol-free: Drivers, pregnant guests, kids and everyone who has plans for the next day.
• One person decides: Collecting wishes is good, but one person should place the order. Otherwise you end up with five kinds of gin and no tonic.

Gassi once tried to estimate a party's drinks needs from his gut. His gut said: two crates of beer, one gin, that'll do. By 9 pm it was clear that his gut didn't know the guests.

Or let us do the maths

For small parties, order directly in the WOW BAR. For big events, send us the occasion, date and number of guests, and we'll work out the quantities for you and deliver island-wide: for your wedding, your Finca event or your day on the yacht.

Frequently asked questions

How many drinks per guest should you plan for a party?

As a rule of thumb, one drink per guest per hour, more like two in the first hour. With 30 guests and a five-hour party, that's around 180 drinks, plus water.

How much water per guest?

At least one litre per person, more like one and a half on hot days in Mallorca. For outdoor parties in summer, better to plan generously.

How much prosecco for a champagne reception?

One to two glasses per guest. A 0.75-litre bottle gives you six to seven glasses, so roughly one bottle for every four guests.

How much wine per person with dinner?

About half a bottle per guest for a dinner with several courses. A little more for a long evening followed by a party.

How many gin and tonics do you get from one bottle of gin?

At 4 to 5 cl per drink, a 0.7-litre bottle of gin gives you about 14 to 17 gin and tonics. For each drink you need one small 0.2-litre bottle of tonic.

How much ice do you need for a party?

Count on about half a kilo to a kilo of ice per guest, more in summer and with long drinks. Ice for chilling the bottles comes on top.