Calculating How Much Alcohol You Need For A Party Slideshow

Stock your bar with both red and white wine, taking into consideration that one bottle will serve on average two guests, if there is a full bar as well.

Serving only wine? Count on having one bottle per guest for a dinner party to ensure there is enough. And as white wine is often more popular than red wine, especially in warmer months and climates, be sure to keep that in mind when shopping. 

If the Champagne is part of a fully-stocked bar, count on having one bottle for every four guests (remember, it doesn't hurt to have extra left over).

Offering a Champagne toast at the beginning or end of the night? As the glasses need only to be filled one-third of the way up, one bottle per ten guests should be enough.

Offer your guests both light and dark beer, and supply two to three bottles per guest, per hour, if you are also supplying cocktails and wine.

If beer is the only thing on the menu, ensure that you have three to four bottles on hand for each guest for each hour of the party.

In general, a one-liter bottle of alcohol is enough for 18 mixed drinks. 

If you're tight on space, however, don't bother with a fully-stocked bar and instead plan on serving two signature cocktails to make bartending simple. Using the recipe, calculate exactly how much liquor you will need, and then buy a little extra to be safe. And don't forget the garnishes!

In general, a host should stock three two-liter bottles (or three six-packs) of club soda, tonic water, ginger ale, Coca-Cola, and a lemon-lime soda or drink for a two to three-hour party of up to 20 people. If you're serving only serving mixed drinks and no signature cocktails, however, you'll want to increase the quantities by about 50 percent.

In general, hosts should provide one liter of water for every two guests for a two- to three-hour party. Ensure that you have an equal supply of both sparking and still water, in case guests want a white wine spritzer or a splash of soda water with their liquor.

Generally speaking, a host will use more ice in the summer than in the winter. Yet, no matter the time of year, you'll want enough ice for both serving drinks and to chill down bottles of wine or water in the bar. On average, hosts should plan on having one pound of ice per person if serving cocktails (half as much if serving wine only).