Adjust for your crowd
Enter how many of your guests are kids; they aren't counted for alcohol.
Beer for other crowd sizes
tap a row for its own list ↓| Guests | Beers | Cases of 24 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 33 | 2 |
| 20 people | 66 | 3 |
| 25 people | 83 | 4 |
| 30 people | 99 | 5 |
| 40 people · you're here | 132 | 6 |
| 50 people | 165 | 7 |
| 75 people | 248 | 11 |
| 100 people | 330 | 14 |
| 150 people | 495 | 21 |
| 200 people | 660 | 28 |
6 cases of 24 for 40 adults at a four-hour party. Not everyone drinks beer, so the rule is set per adult guest, not per beer drinker.
How many people do 2 cases of beer serve?
Covers about 16 people at a 4-hour party.
Everything else for 40 people
How we got this number
- 140 guests × 3 = 120 beers
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 132 beers
- 3÷ 24 per case = 5.5 → 6 cases of 24
beer scales with the length of the party.
Sources for this rule: NIAAA; Chinet cocktail party guide; Tasting Table, How Much Ice You Need for a Party; WebstaurantStore; BC Liquor Stores; PureWow; NIAAA; Target.
Beer questions
How much beer for 40 people?
Buy 132 beers: 6 cases of 24. That's 3 per guest for a 4-hour party, plus a 10% cushion.
What if 8 of the 40 guests are kids?
Kids don't count for alcohol, so plan for 32 adults: buy 106 beers: 5 cases of 24.
How many people do 2 cases of beer serve?
Covers about 16 people at a 4-hour party.
Different headcount? The beer calculator works for any number of guests, and the menu planner builds one shopping list for the whole party.