Hosts spend a lot of time working out the liquor, beer and wine order, then run short on the cheap items that make a bar work. Ice is the most commonly under-bought item at a private event, and mixers are a close second. This guide gives you working quantities for each. The numbers are planning rules, not guarantees, so round up.
Ice: two pounds per guest, before chilling
Plan on two pounds of ice per guest for the drinks themselves. That covers ice in the glass and ice in the shaker over a four-hour bar.
| Guests | Ice for drinks | In 10-pound bags |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 50 lb | 5 bags |
| 50 | 100 lb | 10 bags |
| 75 | 150 lb | 15 bags |
| 100 | 200 lb | 20 bags |
| 150 | 300 lb | 30 bags |
| 200 | 400 lb | 40 bags |
Ice for chilling is extra
The ice that keeps beer, wine and seltzer cold is separate, and it should never be the ice that goes in a glass. As a rule of thumb, a cooler or tub packed with cans and bottles takes around 20 pounds to fill in around them, and will want topping up during a long summer event. Plan on about one cooler or tub for every 30 guests.
When to add more ice
- Outdoor events in July and August
- Frozen drinks, which go through ice faster than anything else on a bar
- Bars running longer than four hours
- Shaken cocktails as the main order rather than beer and wine
When to pick it up
As late as you can. Ice bought the night before and left in a garage is a block by party time. Pick it up within a couple of hours of the bar opening, or have it delivered. If you add bagged ice to a Sip Happens booking, it arrives with the bartender.
Mixers: about one liter for every three guests
For a full bar, a common planning rule is one liter of mixers for every three guests, spread across the kinds your menu needs.
| Guests | Total mixers |
|---|---|
| 25 | about 9 liters |
| 50 | about 17 liters |
| 75 | about 25 liters |
| 100 | about 34 liters |
| 150 | about 50 liters |
| 200 | about 67 liters |
A sensible split for a standard full bar:
- Club soda and tonic: about a third of the total. Vodka sodas and gin and tonics are the most-ordered mixed drinks at most parties.
- Cola, lemon-lime soda and ginger ale: about a third
- Cranberry, orange and pineapple juice: about a third
Add margarita mix or sour mix if those drinks are on your menu. A beer and wine bar needs no mixers at all, which is one reason it is simpler and cheaper to run.
Soft drinks and water for non-drinkers
Designated drivers, guests who are pregnant, kids and anyone pacing themselves still spend the evening near the bar. Plan for them on purpose:
- Soft drinks: a few per non-drinking guest. Three is a workable number for a four-hour event.
- Bottled water: one per guest at a minimum, drinkers included. Make it two for an outdoor summer event.
- One real non-alcoholic option: a mocktail, a good lemonade or a sparkling juice. See the mocktail bar page.
Soft drinks do double duty as mixers, so count them once. If cola is in your mixer total, buy toward the high end and let it cover both jobs.
Citrus and garnishes
- Limes: as a starting point, about one for every six guests at a full bar. One lime cuts into roughly eight wedges.
- Lemons: about half as many as limes
- Oranges, cherries and olives: only if your menu calls for them. A jar of each goes a long way.
- Fresh herbs: mint and basil for signature cocktails. Buy them the day before, not the week before.
Cups, flutes and napkins
- Cups: about five per guest across a night. People set drinks down and lose them.
- Champagne flutes: two per guest covers a toast and a refill
- Bar napkins: two to three per guest
- Straws or stirrers: one per mixed drink is plenty
The whole list for 50 guests
A four-hour full bar for 50 drinking guests needs, on top of the alcohol:
- 100 pounds of ice for drinks, plus about 40 pounds for two coolers
- About 17 liters of mixers
- 50 bottles of water
- 8 to 10 limes and 4 to 5 lemons
- 250 cups
For the alcohol itself, see the guest count chart or run your own numbers in the alcohol calculator.
Or skip the shopping
Every item on this page can be added to a Sip Happens booking, priced per guest, and it turns up with the bartender:
- Bagged ice
- Cups, straws and napkins
- Juices and limes: cranberry, pineapple and orange juice, club soda, tonic and fresh limes
- Premium mixers and garnishes: margarita and sour mix, grenadine, simple syrup, citrus juice, oranges, lemons, cherries and olives
- Soft drinks: Coke, Sprite and ginger ale
- Bottled waters
- Cooler and ice tub rentals
The one thing we cannot bring is the alcohol. New Jersey law requires the host to buy that from a licensed retailer. The dry-hire explainer covers why. The full list of options is on the packages and add-ons page.
Common questions
How much ice do I need for 100 guests?
About 200 pounds for drinks, which is twenty 10-pound bags. Add roughly 60 to 80 pounds if you are also chilling beer and wine in coolers.
Can I use the same ice for chilling and for drinks?
No. Ice that has had cans and bottles sitting in it is not clean enough to serve. Keep drink ice in its own covered cooler with a scoop.
How many soft drinks for a party of 50?
If the soda is for mixing only, it is already in your 17 liters of mixers. For guests who are not drinking, add about three cans each.
Next step
See what the bar costs with ice, cups and mixers included.