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How Much Champagne for a 250 Guest Thanksgiving?

You will need approx.

🥂
137
bottles of champagne

For a 250-guest thanksgiving lasting 4 hours

info 15% buffer included
713
Total servings
2.9
Per person
+18
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

250 guests × 65% drinking rate
= 163 drinkers

At xlarge events, about 65% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

163 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 4 hours
= 978 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 4-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 3.25)
= 795 adjusted drinks

People drink faster in the first hour and slow down as the event progresses.

4

Apply thanksgiving modifier

× 0.9 (-10% for champagne)
= 713 champagne servings needed

Thanksgivings typically consume 10% less champagne than average.

5

Convert to bottles

713 servings ÷ 6 servings per bottle
= 118.8 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of champagne provides 6 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

118.8 × 1.15 = 136.6, rounded up
= 137 bottles

Always round up and add a buffer. Running out is worse than having leftovers!

Why trust this formula?

Based on industry standards and refined by bartenders with 30+ years of experience. We factor in consumption decay (people drink less as events progress) and real-world drinking percentages.

📊 Quick Reference: Champagne by Guest Count

Guests Champagne Needed Total Servings
25 guests 14 bottles 71 servings
50 guests 28 bottles 143 servings
75 guests 42 bottles 214 servings
100 guests 55 bottles 285 servings
150 guests 83 bottles 428 servings
200 guests 110 bottles 570 servings

* All calculations include a 15% buffer. Amounts for thanksgiving.

The Essentials

🥂 137 bottles Champagne
245 glasses Champagne flutes (1.5 per drinker) Buy
35 buckets Ice buckets (Keep bottles chilled) Buy

The Host's Secret

Editorial Curation

ATMOSPHERE

"Wine consumption peaks during dinner - have bottles ready at the table."

Pro Tip #1
PREPARATION

"Pre-dinner cocktails should be light so people can enjoy the meal."

Pro Tip #2
TIMING

"After-dinner drinks (port, brandy) are a nice touch."

Pro Tip #3
SERVICE

"Football watching = beer in the afternoon before dinner."

Pro Tip #4
PRESENTATION

"Designated drivers are essential - plan non-alcoholic options."

Pro Tip #5
🛒

Buying Guide

Thanksgiving is wine-heavy with the meal. Plan 1 bottle of wine per 2 adults at the table. Have a light cocktail option for pre-dinner and maybe some beer for football watching. Keep it classy.

🎉

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