Open Bar Buy List

Guest count and hours in. A beer, wine, and spirits shopping list with buffer out.

Guests (drinking age)

Bar hours

Cocktail hour through last call.

Safety buffer

10% is standard. Returns on unopened cases usually allowed.

Beer share

Crowd mix. Remaining share goes to spirits.

Wine share

How this is calculated

Drinks per guest = 2 in the first hour + 1 for each additional hour.

Total drinks = guests × drinks per guest × (1 + buffer).

Wine: 5 glasses per 750 ml bottle. Spirits: 16 × 1.5 oz pours per 750 ml. Mixers: ~3 drinks per litre. Ice: 1.5 lb per guest.

Prices are before GST/HST. Add tax on top of the price shown, never inside your margin. Estimates, not advice.

Total drinks to cover

793

Conservative yearly leak$1,190

What the safety buffer costs across 12 events if none of it goes back. Most stores take unopened bottles back: keep the receipt.

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