---
title: "Party Drinks Calculator | Kindred Picnic"
description: "Estimate drinks for a party or picnic: beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, water, ice and cups, from per-hour assumptions you can see and change."
url: https://kindredpicnic.cyou/drinks-calculator/
---

# Party drinks calculator

How many bottles, cans and bags of ice? Enter your guests and the length of the party. The per-hour rates behind the answer are listed below the results, ready to adjust.

## What to buy

- Beer & cider **25** cans or bottles 12 fl oz each, about 2 × 24-pack
- Wine **4** bottles 18 glasses of 5 fl oz
- Spirits **1** bottle 8 measures of 1.5 fl oz, plus 32 fl oz of mixers
- Soft drinks & juice **70** cans or glasses about 6.75 gal of soft drinks and juice
- Water **5.5 gal** of water 6.8 fl oz per person per hour
- Ice **25 lb** of ice for the drinks tub and the glasses
- Cups **50** cups 2 per guest, so refills can reuse them

## The assumptions, in plain sight

The estimate assumes each adult has two drinks in the first hour and one in every hour after, and each child one drink an hour. Water, ice and cups are counted per person. These are common party-planning rules of thumb, not measured averages, so if your friends are slow sippers or the party will be dancing till late, change the rates under the results.

A hot day adds 50% to soft drinks, water and ice, because people drink more when it is warm. Unticking **Serving alcohol** turns every adult drink into a soft drink.

## Serving sizes

In US units, servings are the US standard drink: a 12 fl oz beer at 5% alcohol, a 5 fl oz glass of wine at 12% and a 1.5 fl oz measure of 40% spirits. A 750 ml bottle gives five such glasses of wine. In metric units, the calculator uses a 330 ml can, a 150 ml glass and a 44 ml measure from a 700 ml bottle. Always have plenty of water and alcohol-free choices, and plan safe ways home.

## Sources

- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): [What is a standard drink?](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink)

## Questions

**How many drinks per person for a party?**

Our starting point is two drinks per adult in the first hour and one each hour after, so about five over a four-hour party. Adjust it for your group.

**How much ice do I need?**

The default is about 1 lb (450 g) per guest for chilling and glasses, more on a hot day or if the drinks start warm.

**Does it count drinks for the designated drivers?**

Yes. Soft drinks are planned for every adult drink that is not alcoholic, plus water for everyone.