How Much Beer, Whisky and Wine to Buy for a House Party
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Planning drinks for a house party? This simple guide shows how much beer, whisky and wine to buy per guest, how many pegs are in a bottle, and how much ice and soda you need.
Every host in Kathmandu has lived through one of two disasters. Either the whisky runs out at 9 PM and someone is sent on a bike to find a shop that is still open, or the party ends with eight unopened bottles of beer and a lot of soda nobody drank. Both are avoidable with a bit of arithmetic.
The basic rule: drinks per guest per hour
A reliable rule of thumb used by caterers is:
- 2 drinks per guest in the first hour
- 1 drink per guest for every hour after that
So a four-hour party with 20 guests needs about 20 × (2 + 3) = 100 drinks. Not everyone drinks, and some people drink more, but over a group it averages out surprisingly well. If you know your crowd, adjust up or down.
How many drinks are in a bottle
| Bottle | Size | Servings |
|---|---|---|
| Beer (large bottle) | 650 ml | About 2 glasses |
| Beer (can) | 330 to 500 ml | 1 drink |
| Whisky, vodka or rum | 750 ml | About 25 small pegs (30 ml) or 12 large pegs (60 ml) |
| Wine | 750 ml | About 5 glasses (150 ml) |
Splitting it between beer, spirits and wine
In most Nepali house parties we hear about, the split looks something like this: half the guests stick to beer, a third drink whisky or another spirit, and the rest prefer wine or soft drinks. For our 20-guest, 100-drink party, that works out to:
- Beer: 50 drinks, so about 25 large bottles (roughly two crates)
- Whisky or other spirits: 33 drinks, so 2 bottles of 750 ml if people drink large pegs, with a third as a spare
- Wine: 17 glasses, so 3 to 4 bottles
Older relatives and a Dashain card party? Lean towards whisky. A birthday with college friends? Lean towards beer. A dinner party? More wine.
Don't forget mixers, ice and water
This is where most hosts under-buy.
- Soda and mixers: about one 1.25 litre bottle of soda or cola for every bottle of spirit. Find them under soda and mixers.
- Ice: about 1 kg per guest for a full evening, more in summer. Ice keeps beer cold and goes into every glass.
- Water: at least one litre per guest. People drink a lot more water at a party than you expect, and they feel better the next day for it.
- Soft drinks and juice: for the drivers, the non-drinkers and the kids.
Food that goes with drinks
Serving food is the single best way to keep a party fun and safe. Plan on something more filling than chips: sekuwa, choila, chicken chilli, sausages or a big plate of chatpate. For the table, keep bhujiya and namkeen, peanuts and chips topped up.
A simple party shopping checklist
- Count guests and hours, multiply out the drinks
- Split them between beer, spirits and wine
- Add soda, ice, water and soft drinks
- Add snacks and paper plates, cups and tissues
- Order by the afternoon, so everything arrives cold and on time
On Vhandar you can put all of this in one order, from the beer to the napkins, and choose a delivery window that suits you. We deliver between 8 AM and 8 PM, so don't leave it to the last minute.
Host responsibly
Make sure guests who have been drinking don't drive. Keep the numbers of a couple of taxi services handy, and have some food and water out the whole night. And remember that liquor is only sold and delivered to adults aged 18 or above.
