Running out of drinks halfway through the evening is the one hosting mistake guests remember. Buying three times too much is the other. Here is a quick way to land in between, using numbers you can work out on the back of an envelope.
The rule of thumb
Plan on two drinks per guest in the first hour, and one an hour after that. People drink faster when they arrive and slow down once the food is out.
So a guest who stays four hours has about five drinks. Multiply by the number of guests and you have the total number of drinks to plan for.
Count the guests who drink, not everyone invited. If a few people do not drink, leave them out of the sum and make sure there are good soft drinks instead.
How many drinks are in a bottle
Once you know the number of drinks, turn it into bottles:
- Spirits, 750 ml: about 25 small pegs of 30 ml, or about 12 large pegs of 60 ml.
- Beer, 650 ml bottle: two glasses. A 500 ml can or a 330 ml bottle is one drink.
- Wine, 750 ml: five glasses of 150 ml.
Most home pours in India are large pegs, so plan with 12 drinks to a bottle of whisky, rum or vodka unless you know your crowd prefers small ones.
A worked example: ten guests, four hours
Ten guests staying four hours have about five drinks each, so 50 drinks in all. Say half of them drink whisky, three drink beer and two drink wine:
- Whisky: 5 guests × 5 drinks = 25 large pegs, so two full bottles, with a third kept back in case.
- Beer: 3 guests × 5 drinks = 15 drinks, so eight 650 ml bottles.
- Wine: 2 guests × 5 drinks = 10 glasses, so two bottles.
Round up rather than down. An unopened bottle keeps; a party that runs dry does not.
Do not forget mixers, ice and water
The bottles are only half of it. Plan for:
- Soda and cola: roughly one litre for every bottle of spirits that will be mixed.
- Ice: more than seems sensible. About a kilogram for every three or four guests on a warm evening.
- Water: a glass of water between drinks keeps the evening pleasant for everyone.
- Food: snacks out from the start, not just at dinner.
Ordering without running out
Order the bulk of it before guests arrive, so you are not on the phone mid-party. Orders above ₹10,000 get 10% off, which for a bigger gathering usually pays for the extra bottle.
If you do run low, Bottle Express delivers across Jaipur within 30 minutes and takes orders 24 hours a day. See how ordering works if it is your first time.
Keep it safe
Make sure nobody who has been drinking drives home: arrange cabs in advance or offer a place to stay. Only serve guests of legal drinking age, and stop serving anyone who has clearly had enough.
Questions people ask
How many pegs are in a 750 ml bottle?
About 25 small pegs of 30 ml, or about 12 large pegs of 60 ml.
How much alcohol do I need for 10 people?
For a four-hour party, plan on about 50 drinks: for example two to three bottles of whisky, eight 650 ml beers and two bottles of wine, depending on what your guests prefer.
Can I get party drinks delivered in Jaipur?
Yes. Bottle Express delivers across Jaipur within 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, and orders above ₹10,000 get 10% off.
