Planning a celebration is exciting, but let's be honest: one of the biggest sources of stress is figuring out exactly how much booze to buy. You don't want to run out of drinks before the party reaches its peak, but you also don't want to end up with ten cases of leftover wine taking up space in your kitchen for the next year. As professional bartenders here in Chicago, we plan quantities from a written set of assumptions so your 50-person party is stocked sensibly.
The Golden Ratio for 50 Guests
Planning assumption used here: two drinks per guest in the first hour, then one drink per guest for each hour after. For 50 guests over four hours that is roughly 250 drinks. Treat that as an assumption for your drinking-adult count, not a universal target — a 200-drink baseline simply scales the quantities below down.
When you break that down into categories, one workable split for a crowd that enjoys variety is:
- Wine: 40% (approx. 100 drinks)
- Beer: 40% (approx. 100 drinks)
- Spirits/Cocktails: 20% (approx. 50 drinks)
Breaking Down the Numbers
If you are shopping for these amounts, here is how you translate that into store-bought quantities:
- Wine: 100 servings ÷ 5 glasses per bottle = 20 bottles — that is about 1.7 cases of 12, so buy rounding up
- Beer: 100 servings. A 24-pack holds 24, so four packs give 96 and five packs give 120 — round up for a buffer. Mix a crisp lager, an IPA and maybe a seasonal sour or cider.
- Spirits: at a standard 1.5 oz pour, 50 spirit servings need about 2.2 L of spirit before any buffer. Plan roughly 2.5–3 L of your base spirit (vodka, gin or tequila) to absorb spills and heavier pours.
These figures are alcoholic inventory for your drinking adults. Plan non-alcoholic demand separately, and round purchases up rather than down.
Pro-Tips for Your Shopping List
- Don't Forget the Non-Alcoholic Options: Always account for your designated drivers and guests who prefer spirit-free options. Keep plenty of high-quality tonic, club soda, and juice on hand.
- Consider Your Crowd: Are your friends heavy beer drinkers, or are they all about the craft cocktails? Adjust your percentages based on the specific vibe of your guest list.
- The Dry-Hire Advantage: Because Shake & Gather operates as a dry-hire service, you have complete control over the quality of the brands you purchase. We provide a detailed shopping list tailored to your guest count, with the assumptions written out so you can adjust them.
Let Us Handle the Pouring
Once you have your shopping list sorted, the last thing you want to do is spend your whole party standing behind a folding table. Whether you need a full-service Craft package or just a bartender to manage the bar, Shake & Gather is here to help.
As an LGBTQ+-owned, BASSET-certified team serving Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, and beyond, we bring the expertise and the energy to make your event unforgettable.
Ready to start planning your perfect menu? Inquire with Shake & Gather today, and let us handle the logistics while you enjoy the party!
