For a four-hour party of 100 guests, plan on about 500 drinks, using the rule of two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per hour after. Drinks House 247 suggests roughly 17 bottles of sparkling wine, 25 bottles of wine, 125 beers, 6 bottles of spirits, plenty of soft drinks and about 100kg of ice.
Catering for 100 people sounds daunting, but the drinks follow a simple formula. Work out the total number of drinks, decide how they will be split between wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks, then convert that into bottles. The figures below are for a four-hour evening party with a mixed crowd. Adjust them for your guests, the season and the length of the event.
A widely used planning rule is two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per hour after that. For a four-hour party that gives five drinks per guest, or 500 drinks in total. Some guests will drink less, some more, and some not at all, but across 100 people the average holds up well.
| Drink | Share | Servings | What to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champagne or sparkling wine | 20% | 100 glasses of 125ml | 17 bottles (6 glasses each) |
| Still wine, red and white | 30% | 150 glasses of 125ml | 25 bottles, about 60% white and 40% red |
| Beer and cider | 25% | 125 bottles or cans | 125 bottles or cans |
| Spirits with mixers | 15% | 75 drinks of 50ml | 6 bottles of 70cl (14 doubles each) |
| Soft drinks and alcohol-free options | 10% plus water | 50 or more | Soft drinks, alcohol-free beer and plenty of water |
This split suits a typical mixed party. A wedding-style reception leans further towards wine and fizz; a younger crowd usually wants more beer and spirits. Move the percentages, but keep the 500 total.
If everyone will raise a glass for a toast, the 17 bottles above cover it, because a toast pour is smaller, around 75 to 100ml. If you want a full glass of fizz on arrival as well as a toast, add another 10 to 15 bottles. For sparkling wine in volume, magnums are practical: one magnum pours about 12 glasses and stays colder for longer than two bottles.
| Length | Drinks per guest | Total for 100 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | 3 | 300 |
| 3 hours | 4 | 400 |
| 4 hours | 5 | 500 |
| 5 hours | 6 | 600 |
| 6 hours | 7 | 700 |
Scale each row of the first table up or down in proportion.
At a large event you have a duty of care to your guests. Serve food, especially early in the evening; offer good alcohol-free choices so non-drinkers are not left with tap water; stop serving anyone who has clearly had too much; and make sure guests have a safe way home. Nobody under 18 should be served alcohol.
For 100 guests, order your main stock a week or two ahead so you can check everything has arrived and plan chilling. Bulk and case orders make this simpler. Keep a little budget aside for a top-up on the night: in London, a top-up delivery typically arrives within 30 to 45 minutes, which is far better than over-ordering by a third just in case.
About 500 drinks for a four-hour party, based on two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per hour after. Adjust for the length of the event.
Around 25 bottles of still wine and 17 bottles of sparkling wine for a four-hour mixed party, assuming 125ml glasses and six glasses per bottle.
Allow about 1kg per guest, roughly 100kg, and more in hot weather or if you are also chilling bottles in ice baths.
About six 70cl bottles if spirits make up around 15% of drinks, served as 50ml doubles with mixers.
See our bulk and case delivery, browse champagne magnums, beers and mixers, or read how alcohol delivery works across London. For smaller numbers, try our party alcohol calculator, how much champagne for 50 guests and how much ice you need.
Deliveries are to over-18s only under our Challenge 25 policy. Please drink responsibly.
