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How Much Spirits for a 75 Guest Wedding Shower?

You will need approx.

🥃
8
bottles of spirits

For a 75-guest wedding shower lasting 3 hours

info 15% buffer included
112
Total servings
1.5
Per person
+1
Buffer bottles

How We Calculated This

Our bartender-tested formula, step by step

1

Estimate actual drinkers

75 guests × 75% drinking rate
= 56 drinkers

At medium events, about 75% of guests typically drink alcohol.

2

Calculate base consumption

56 drinkers × 1.5 drinks/hour × 3 hours
= 252 base drinks

Industry standard is 1.5 drinks per person per hour for a 3-hour event.

3

Apply consumption decay

Adjusted for drinking slowdown over time (decay factor: 2.65)
= 223 adjusted drinks

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

4

Apply wedding shower modifier

× 0.5 (-50% for spirits)
= 112 spirits servings needed

Wedding Showers typically consume 50% less spirits than average.

5

Convert to bottles

112 servings ÷ 17 servings per bottle
= 6.6 bottles (raw)

Each bottle of spirits provides 17 servings.

6

Add 15% buffer & round up

6.6 × 1.15 = 7.6, rounded up
= 8 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: Spirits by Guest Count

Guests Spirits Needed Total Servings
25 guests 3 bottles 37 servings
50 guests 6 bottles 75 servings
75 guests (you) 8 bottles 112 servings
100 guests 11 bottles 149 servings
150 guests 16 bottles 224 servings
200 guests 22 bottles 299 servings

* All calculations include a 15% buffer. Amounts for wedding shower.

The Essentials

🥃 8 bottles Spirits
38 liters Mixers (soda, tonic, juice) (Variety is key)
112 lbs Ice (~2 lbs per person)
112 glasses Cocktail glasses (2 per drinker) Buy
14 pieces Garnishes (limes, lemons)

The Host's Secret

Editorial Curation

ATMOSPHERE

"Mimosa bars are the gold standard. Stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests, plus orange juice and peach nectar for variety."

Pro Tip #1
PREPARATION

"Skip heavy reds. Go 70% white/rosé (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc) and 30% light red (Pinot Noir)."

Pro Tip #2
TIMING

"Create one signature cocktail (Aperol Spritz, French 75) and batch it ahead of time - plan 2 servings per guest."

Pro Tip #3
SERVICE

"25-30% of guests won't drink alcohol. Offer elegant non-alcoholic options like mocktails or flavored sparkling water."

Pro Tip #4
PRESENTATION

"Afternoon timing means lower consumption - most guests have 1-2 drinks max."

Pro Tip #5
🛒

Buying Guide

For a 2-3 hour afternoon shower, plan for 1.3 drinks per guest. Champagne and wine dominate - stock 1 bottle of sparkling per 3 guests for mimosas, plus 1 wine bottle per 2 drinking guests. Buy 10-15% extra; unopened bottles can be returned or saved for the wedding. Prosecco is cost-effective for mimosas; save real Champagne for the toast.

🎉

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