How much alcohol for 120 guests?

120 guests · evening corporate event · 4 hours · standing service · mixed bar. Computed with the engine professional crews use.

Corporate

What a 120-guest corporate event bar needs

≈ 1285 bar serves for 120 guests over 4 hours on a mixed bar. Water covers bar and table, still and sparkling.

Wine (all types)20 bottles
Sparkling (toast)20 bottles
Beer180 units
Non-alcoholic beer2 cases
Spirits (all bottles)35 bottles
Soft drinks & mixers23 cases
Water540 bottles
Team on shift9 people
Ice200 kg (442 lb) · 100 bags of 2 kg (23 of 20 lb)

Free numbers from the same engine the full planner runs. Pro turns them into the exact order per product, cocktail ingredients, glassware and one shopping list.

Team

The crew behind 120 guests

9 team members
Bartenders3
Barbacks2
Runners2
Glass cleaners2

Range: 8 (minimum) · 9 (recommended) · 10 (comfortable).

Ice

Ice for 120 guests

200 kg (442 lb) of ice
Cube ice (drinks & chilling)150 kg (331 lb)75 bags of 2 kg (17 of 20 lb)
Crushed ice (cocktails)50 kg (111 lb)25 bags of 2 kg (6 of 20 lb)
Total to order100 bags of 2 kg (23 of 20 lb)20 sacks of 10 kg
Recommended storage1 large freezer

When they actually drink it

Those 1285 serves do not arrive evenly: the opening hour is the fastest, about 367 serves, because everyone wants a first drink at once; over hours 2–4 the bar settles into a steady 306 serves an hour. The totals above already carry that curve, so the bar is stocked for the hour that surges.

Field note: the drivers order first

Wherever beer is served, Green Jar adds a case of 24 non-alcoholic beers per 100 guests without being asked. Designated drivers and pregnant guests reach the bar early, usually before anyone else, and they notice when there is nothing there for them.

Adjust it to your event

Same engine, live. Change the crowd, the bar or the hours and recalculate.

Guests
Seated dinner served?
Bar service
Duration
Units

Frequently asked questions

How much alcohol do I need for 120 guests at a corporate event?

Plan for about 1285 bar serves over 4 hours. On a mixed bar that becomes roughly 20 bottles of wine, 180 units of beer, 35 bottles of spirits and 23 cases of soft drinks and mixers, plus 540 bottles of water.

How much wine do I need for 120 guests standing?

The standing rule is 1 glass per guest, split across white, rosé and red, and a 750 ml bottle pours 6 glasses. Scaled to 4 hours that is 20 bottles for 120 guests.

How many bar staff do I need for 120 guests?

3 bartenders at the recommended level and 9 people in total, counting barbacks, runners and glass collectors. The comfortable level for the same event is 10.

Plan your full bar: bottles, cocktails, shopping list.

The free calculator gives staff, ice and totals. Pro turns them into the exact order per product and one Excel your supplier can read.

Plan your full bar →

Other guest counts and events

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