How many drinks per person?
A common planning rule is about two drinks per guest in the first hour, when people arrive thirsty, then one drink per guest for each hour after that. The calculator counts a serving as 8 ounces, then converts the total into 12-ounce cans and 2-liter bottles.
Water is counted separately at about 9 ounces per guest per hour, and ice at around 1.5 pounds per guest. On a hot day, everything goes up by a quarter and ice goes up to 2 pounds per guest.
Example: 30 guests for 3 hours
- Servings: 30 × (2 + 1 + 1) = 120 servings of 8 oz
- As cans: 80 cans of 12 oz
- Or as 2-liter bottles: 15 bottles
- Water: 48 bottles of 16.9 oz
- Ice: 45 lb, about 5 bags of 10 lb
Mixing up the choices
Most parties do best with a few options rather than one big supply. A good split is about half sodas or sparkling water, a quarter juice or lemonade, and a quarter iced tea, with plenty of plain water for everyone. Kids' parties often go through more juice boxes than you'd expect.
Ice tips
- Buy ice last, on party day, or ask a neighbor for freezer space.
- Keep drinking ice separate from ice used to chill cans in coolers.
- Coolers in the shade keep ice much longer than ones in the sun.
Planning the food too? Use the party food calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many drinks per person for a party?
Plan on about two drinks per guest in the first hour and one per guest for each hour after that.
How much ice do I need for a party?
About 1.5 pounds per guest for drinks, and up to 2 pounds on a hot day. Ice for chilling coolers is extra.
How many 2-liter bottles for 50 people?
For a 3-hour party, about 24 bottles, which covers 200 servings of 8 ounces.
How much water should I have?
About 8 to 10 ounces per guest per hour, more outdoors in the heat.
Sources
These are planning estimates. Hot weather, active games and the age of your guests all change how much people drink.
Spotted a mistake? Email corrections@ipartybot.com and we'll check it.