50 guests · evening party · 5 hours · standing service · mixed bar. Computed with the engine professional crews use.
Party
What a 50-guest party bar needs
≈ 819 bar serves for 50 guests over 5 hours on a mixed bar. Water covers bar and table, still and sparkling.
Wine (all types)10 bottles
Sparkling (toast)9 bottles
Beer75 units
Non-alcoholic beer1 case
Spirits (all bottles)25 bottles
Soft drinks & mixers16 cases
Water225 bottles
Team on shift5 people
Ice120 kg (266 lb) · 60 bags of 2 kg (14 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 50 guests
5 team members
Bartenders2
Barbacks1
Runners1
Glass cleaners1
Range: 5 (minimum and recommended) · 6 (comfortable).
Ice
Ice for 50 guests
120 kg (266 lb) of ice
Cube ice (drinks & chilling)90 kg (199 lb)45 bags of 2 kg (10 of 20 lb)
Crushed ice (cocktails)30 kg (67 lb)15 bags of 2 kg (4 of 20 lb)
Total to order60 bags of 2 kg (14 of 20 lb)12 sacks of 10 kg
When they actually drink it
Those 819 serves do not arrive evenly: the opening hour is the fastest, about 189 serves, because everyone wants a first drink at once; over hour 2 the bar settles into a steady 158 serves an hour; through hour 3 it eases to around 157 an hour as the crowd winds down; through hour 4 it eases to around 158 an hour as the crowd winds down; through hour 5 it eases to around 157 an hour as the crowd winds down. The totals above already carry that curve, so the bar is stocked for the hour that surges.
Field note: a second bar is not half a team twice
Splitting one crew across two stations leaves both short. When Green Jar runs two simultaneous bars the floor is 3 bartenders, 2 barbacks, 3 runners and 1 glass cleaner, whatever the per-guest table says. Large events already above those numbers see no change.
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
Party
Frequently asked questions
How much alcohol do I need for 50 guests at a party?
Plan for about 819 bar serves over 5 hours. On a mixed bar that becomes roughly 10 bottles of wine, 75 units of beer, 25 bottles of spirits and 16 cases of soft drinks and mixers, plus 225 bottles of water.
How much wine do I need for 50 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 5 hours that is 10 bottles for 50 guests.
How many bar staff do I need for 50 guests?
2 bartenders at the recommended level and 5 people in total, counting barbacks, runners and glass collectors. The comfortable level for the same event is 6.
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.