# Party: How Much Beer and Wine? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer, wine\ **Created:** [June 15, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575 "2019-06-15T19:05:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/1 "2019-06-15T19:05:14Z")
How much beer AND wine would you buy for moderate drinkers (men and women) at a party for 25-30 adults? I heard one rule of thumb is to assume 2 people per 750 ml bottle of wine? Or, should wine go further? Also, how much beer in 12 oz cans would you buy? I was thinking 60 cans of beer: i.e., 2, 30-packs of cans. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/2 "2019-06-15T19:13:40Z")
I don’t know your friends, but if it were me and mine, I would go half as much wine and twice as much beer. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/3 "2019-06-15T19:55:34Z")
What type of party is it? For a summer BBQ, I’d assume a lot more beer than wine. Is everyone driving or is the place accessible by public transit? Informal enough that some people might show up and contribute a 6 pack or two? Obviously, the advice would be quite different for a work event. I always stick to two drinks at any work event even using public transit. Someone is always counting your drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/4 "2019-06-15T20:41:40Z")
Just invite Jesus, for in case you run out of wine. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/5 "2019-06-15T21:10:27Z")
1.5 drinks per hour per person. Split 50/50 between beer and wine but remember beer is 12 oz per drink and wine 4 oz. You didn’t say how long your party was going but if you had 30 people there for 4 hours I’d buy 15 six packs and 15 bottles of wine. That will also give you the opportunity to offer a nice selection. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/6 "2019-06-16T12:19:45Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > What type of party is it? For a summer BBQ, I’d assume a lot more beer than wine. Is everyone driving or is the place accessible by public transit? Informal enough that some people might show up and contribute a 6 pack or two? > > Obviously, the advice would be quite different for a work event. I always stick to two drinks at any work event even using public transit. Someone is always counting your drinks. Good thought, but no…we’re springing for this. No public transit. And, four hours is a good assumption (as someone else assumed.) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/7 "2019-06-16T12:24:02Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > 1.5 drinks per hour per person. Split 50/50 between beer and wine but remember beer is 12 oz per drink and wine 4 oz. You didn’t say how long your party was going but if you had 30 people there for 4 hours I’d buy 15 six packs and 15 bottles of wine. That will also give you the opportunity to offer a nice selection. I found a “drinks” calculator online that accounts for number of people, length of party, and types of drink (beer and wine and/or hard liquor). Your answer is spot-on with their results. I was a bit surprised, but I am much of a party goer to judge. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/8 "2019-06-16T12:25:06Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Just invite Jesus, for in case you run out of wine. Not a bad thought! By any chance, is he working on a craft beer? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/9 "2019-06-16T14:31:58Z")
You need to know your crowd. For my friends, I do the math then 2x or 3x the results. And 4 hours? That’s when my parties are just ramping up. I always have breakfast items ready for the handful of diehards that are still at it when the sun rises. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/party-how-much-beer-and-wine/835575/10 "2019-06-16T18:32:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > You need to know your crowd. For my friends, I do the math then 2x or 3x the results. And 4 hours? That’s when my parties are just ramping up. I always have breakfast items ready for the handful of diehards that are still at it when the sun rises. Kinda the same here. I don’t know any moderate drinkers, especially not 2 dozen. The last party I went beer shopping for, the grocery store shopping cart broke:smack: