HowMuchPerPerson

How much beer for 50 people?

Buy 165 beers: 7 cases of 24.

That's 3 per guest for a 4-hour party, plus a 10% cushion.

↳ count drinks, then cases: kids don't count

Cases of 24
7
12 oz cans or bottles
Beers
165
3 per guest

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 ↓
GuestsBeersCases of 24
10 people332
20 people663
25 people834
30 people995
40 people1326
50 people · you're here1657
75 people24811
100 people33014
150 people49521
200 people66028

7 cases of 24 for 50 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?

cases of 24

Covers about 16 people at a 4-hour party.

Everything else for 50 people

How we got this number

  1. 150 guests × 3 = 150 beers
  2. 2× 1.10 cushion = 165 beers
  3. 3÷ 24 per case = 6.9 → 7 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.

See our full method and sources →

Beer questions

How much beer for 50 people?

Buy 165 beers: 7 cases of 24. That's 3 per guest for a 4-hour party, plus a 10% cushion.

What if 10 of the 50 guests are kids?

Kids don't count for alcohol, so plan for 40 adults: buy 132 beers: 6 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.