​How Many Drinks Do I Need? Your Complete Guide to Bars & Beverages for ANY Event

Your Complete Guide to Bars & Beverages for ANY Event

Whether you’re hosting a wedding, corporate event, party or other special occasion, the bar area is often the centrepiece of your event, a hotspot for attendees to mingle and network. Therefore, it’s vital to ensure your bar is as well stocked as possible for the event. Here at Caterhire, we have over 35 years of industry experience, so you’re in safe hands with our team of trusted professionals! Here are our must-haves for any bar…

A Bar!

Before you stock your bar, you’ll need to set your bar up. We stock a wide variety of bars for all types of events. Make a statement with our iconic, contemporary Seated Bar Unit, Illuminated or opt for the classic, glamorous Ornate Wooden Bar Unit. Or check out our full range of Barware Hire for the perfect one for you!

Bar Tools:

A cocktail shaker, jigger, strainer, muddler, and other tools to mix, measure, and serve drinks are a must-have at any party. Don’t forget the Cocktail Lemon Slice Squeezer Copper, Ice Bucket / Wine Bucket and, of course, Ice Cube Bag 20lb/9kg!

Spirits:

A selection of different spirits such as vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey, and brandy will contribute to a well-stocked bar. For 100 guests at a party of approximately 5 hours, around 8 bottles of spirits of your choice are recommended, although a variety of the suggested beverages will make for a varied selection.

Beer and Wine:

In addition to spirits, beer and wine are also common choices for guests and should be available in a well-stocked bar. To calculate how much you’ll need, a general guide suggests you assume each guest will drink 2.5 glasses of wine. This is approximately 1 bottle per 2 guests, so you should aim for around 50 bottles for 100 guests, with an even split of red and white. Allow enough champagne for a toast for each guests. Based on 100 guests this is approximately 15-17 bottles. If your event is shorter than 4-5 hours and/or you’re aware your guests are unlikely to drink this amount, we recommend less. For beer, we recommend 5-6 cases per 100 guests.

Mixers & Non Alcoholic Beverages.

A variety of mixers such as tonic water, soda water, cola, ginger ale, and fruit juices to create mixed drinks. A good rule of thumb is; for every 3 guests, calculate around 1 quarter of mixer. And add extra mixers on top of this for anyone who will be sticking to non-alcoholic beverages. We recommend at least 16 litres of bottled water.

Garnishes:

Lemons, limes, oranges, olives, cherries, and other fruits to add flavour and visual appeal to cocktails.

Glassware

Ensure to stock up on glassware such as wine glasses, champagne glasses, beer glasses, cocktail glasses and more! Here at CaterHire.ie, we hire a wide range of glassware, and you won't have to worry about the washing up. Simply leave it to us!