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Common Ground News

What do you stock a wedding bar with?

Author

Matthew Cannon

Updated on February 25, 2026

What do you stock a wedding bar with?

Stock Your Bar Checklist
  • Ice — whatever you think you'll use, double it!
  • Wine.
  • Beer.
  • Liquor — at least one brown and one clear, such as whiskey and vodka.
  • Mixers — juice (orange, cranberry, grapefruit), soda, tonic water, club soda.
  • Garnishes — lemons, limes, cherries, olives, herbs.

Also asked, what should you stock your bar with?

Every home bar should be stocked up with bottles of orange juice, cranberry juice, tomato juice, lemon juice, and lime juice. This set will allow you to make most standard cocktails.

Also Know, what liquor should I have at my wedding? For the most part, clear liquors, such as vodka, gin, and tequila, are a completely different flavor profile than dark liquors, such as whiskey, bourbon, and rum. Vodka and bourbon are the two most common liquor choices for any wedding.

Also to know is, how do you stock a bar for 100 guests?

Full bar – Beer, wine and liquor:

  1. 100 (guests) x 5 (hours) = 500 drinks.
  2. 500 x 0.33 = 170 beers or 7 cases of beer or one ½ barrel sized keg.
  3. 500 x 0.33 = 150 glasses of wine, /5 glasses per bottle= 37 bottles of wine.
  4. 500 x 0.33 = 150 mixed drinks, /39 servings per 1.75 bottle = four 1.75ml bottles liquor.

How much does it cost to stock a bar for a wedding?

According to an internal study, the average amount of money spent on a reception bar/liquor was $2,300. It might seem like a big chunk of change, but most couples deem it as a worthy expense, especially after they see their guests sipping signature cocktails and having fun on the dance floor.

What alcohol should every home bar have?

Home Bartending 101: 7 Essential Spirits You Need to Have
  • ? Vodka.
  • ? Gin.
  • ? Whiskey (Bourbon, Rye and Scotch)
  • ? Rum.
  • ? Tequila and Mescal.
  • ? Bitters.

What should a beginner order at a bar?

How to Order Drinks at a Bar for Beginners
  • Straight up – Shaken in a shaker and strained into a glass.
  • Sour – the term 'sour' refers to the sourness of sour bar mix, bar lime mix, lime bar mix or margarita mix.
  • Shake and Strain – Place ice and ingredients into a shaker tin, shake and strain into a glass.
  • Rocks (On the) – A drink with ice.

What is needed for a home bar?

Here's Everything You Need to Build Your First Home Bar
  • Rocks Glasses. Paris on the Rocks 9.5 oz Glasses (Set of 6)
  • Collins Glasses. Buswell 12 oz Collins Glasses (Set of 6)
  • Coupe Glasses. Leopold 6 oz Coupe Glasses (Set of 6)
  • A Mixing Glass. Japanese-Style 750 ml Mixing Glass.
  • A Bar Spoon.
  • A Shaker.
  • A Strainer.
  • Jiggers.

What equipment is needed for a bar?

Commercial Equipment: 7 Bar Necessities
  • Bar Coolers and Refrigeration. There are lots of options for bar coolers and refrigerators.
  • Bar Blender or Frozen Drink Machines.
  • Draft Beer Dispensers.
  • Underbar Sinks.
  • Ice Machines.
  • Commercial Glass Washer Machines.
  • Point of Sale Software.

How much does it cost to stock a bar with liquor?

Approximately $4,500 is needed for a liquor license, and along with smaller costs for permits and insurance, it is safe to assume a total of $5,000 is needed. Then, $6,000 is required for inventory, bringing the total cost, prior to operation, to roughly $121,000.

How can I practice bartending at home?

How to Be a Master Home Bartender: 6 Home Bartending Tips
  1. Stock your bar with essential spirits and mixers. Make a list of the classic cocktails you love to drink and assemble the spirits needed to make them.
  2. Own the necessary bar tools.
  3. Squeeze your own fresh juice.
  4. Learn how to properly serve each type of cocktail.
  5. Up your ice cube game.
  6. Learn how to make a citrus twist.

How do I stock a bar for a party?

The steps involved make it rather easy:
  1. Decide which cocktails you'll offer.
  2. Estimate the number of guests you expect.
  3. Determine how much of each liquor and mixer needed per drink.
  4. There are 25 ounces or an average of 16 shots in a 750-milliliter bottle; Use this to estimate how many bottles of each ingredient you need.

How much is an open bar for 100 guests?

Typical costs: The average cost for bartender service at a wedding reception is $2,800, according to the Bridal Association of America[1] . The average number of guests is 170, making it $16.50 per guest.

How do you stock a bar at a wedding reception?

Stock Your Bar Checklist
  1. Ice — whatever you think you'll use, double it!
  2. Wine.
  3. Beer.
  4. Liquor — at least one brown and one clear, such as whiskey and vodka.
  5. Mixers — juice (orange, cranberry, grapefruit), soda, tonic water, club soda.
  6. Garnishes — lemons, limes, cherries, olives, herbs.

How many bartenders do you need for 75 guests?

The rule of thumb is that there should be 1 bartender for every 75 wedding guests for a beer and wine reception. If you have a full bar and/or a formal wedding, we recommend 1 bartender for every 50 wedding guests.

How many bartenders do you need for 100 guests?

How many Bartenders do I need? Our professionally-trained bartenders can manage between 75 and 100 guests for a full bar. If you are only serving beer and wine, you will need one bartender for every 100 guests.

How many cases of soda do you need for 100 guests?

Depending on the length of the party, plan on providing 200 cans or 20 2-liter bottles for 100 guests. If the party will last longer than two to three hours, add an additional serving per guest each hour.

How many soft drinks should you have at a wedding?

When it comes to calculating drinks per guest the general rule is four drinks per guest, but when it's non-alcoholic guests tend to drink less.

How do you calculate drinks for a wedding?

One Drink Per Person Per Hour.

If you expect your wedding reception to last for four hours and you have invited 100 guests, estimate a total of 400 drinks.

How many bottles of liquor do you need for a wedding?

A good rule of thumb is to buy 10 bottles of vodka, 6 bottles of whiskey, 6 bottles of gin, 4 bottles of scotch, 2 bottles tequila, 2 bottles of triple sec, 2 bottles of vermouth, 4 cases of beer, and 2 cases of wine for every 100 guests.

How much should you spend on alcohol for a wedding?

In fact, alcohol is served at 92% of wedding celebrations, according to The Knot's survey of weddings in 2018. The average cost of serving alcohol at a wedding was $2,564. Whether you're sticking to a simple champagne toast or springing for a full open bar, alcohol costs can quickly add up.

Who pays for alcohol at weddings?

While these expenses are not always covered separately from the rest of the wedding budget, there are a few items that are traditionally paid for by the groom's parents: The marriage license, the officiant fees, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages for immediate family members, the evening's liquor,

How much is an open bar for 150 guests?

This means for every guest, $16.50 goes the fee the bartender charges. Wine and nonalcoholic drinks, a popular preserve of unlimited bars, is a good way to save cost. It costs an average of $15 to $90 per person for a four hour reception, and around an extra $3 to $4 per person for premium liquor.

How much is the average rehearsal dinner?

The average cost of a rehearsal dinner is $1,330—about one-thirtieth of the price of the wedding. While some in-laws foot the bill, more couples are paying for it themselves.

Who pays for what in a wedding?

Bride and family pay for floral arrangements for the ceremony (including a chuppah if it's a Jewish wedding ceremony) and reception, plus bouquets and corsages for bridesmaids and flower girls. Groom and family pay for the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres for men and corsages for mothers and grandmothers.

How much should a wedding guest cost?

Expect to spend an average of $6,937 for a wedding of 136 guests ($51 per plate). Of course, if you're having a fancier wedding, be prepared to spend much more. The cost of food can easily exceed $100 per plate, depending on how decadent your reception is. Venue rental.