It’s official; we are now in high-holiday party season! Are you playing host this year? When you’re tasked at deciding what party drinks to serve and how much you need; check out this easy wine & beer formula.

This simple guide helps you decide how much you should have to satisfy your party guests. If you entertain frequently, you may want to shop in quantity to get discounts on large purchases. Many wine & beer shops will give you case discounts everyday!

The general rule of thumb for serving wine is to expect your guests to consume 2 glasses the first hour of the party and 1 glass every additional hour. The rule of thumb for beer is generally 2 bottles per hour, tapering off if it’s a long party. Here are two formulas to estimate how much wine & beer to buy for your next party. Don’t forget to round up and, if possible, buy a little more than you think you’ll need.

# of Wine Drinkers X # of Hours = Number of bottles you will need.

# of Beer Drinkers  X # of Hours = Number of bottles you will need.

If you are unsure of how many wine drinkers verses beer drinkers you will have, plan on 60% drinking wine and 40% drinking beer.

A party with alcohol definitely needs food as well! Count on serving 8 hors d’oeuvres per person per hour when you’re not serving a meal.

Offer coffee to your guests towards the end of the party as a courtesy, but remember that coffee does not help increase sobriety. A kind reminder: You are responsible for the safety and welfare of your guests! Taxis, Uber and Lyft are all great options when you are unsure if someone should be driving. When in doubt, always air on the side of caution.

Organization is key to make hosting a breeze. Keep it simple; you should be having as much fun as your guests! Enjoy this holiday season, friends!

Cheers!