Stocking your bar
HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?
While there are no absolute rules, here are
some buying guidelines you may find useful. These are purchasing guidelines only that you can adapt to suit your guests' and
your product preferences. Remember that you
may be held legally responsible for the actions
of your guests. Don't serve your guests to the
point of intoxication and never let them drink
and drive.
WINE
A standard serving of wine is five ounces at
12% alcohol by volume. This means that you get:
• Five glasses per 750-mL bottle
• Seven glasses per litre
• 10 glasses per 1.5-litre magnum
BEER
Generally, one 341-mL (12-oz.) bottle of beer
is one serving. So, a case of 24 beers provides
24 standard beer servings.
SPIRITS
A 750-mL bottle gives approximately 17 standard
drinks. You will need three similarly sized
bottles of mix. Guest preferences or a party
theme may affect the types of spirits purchased,
so the following is only a basic guide for making
spirit purchases:
• 25% Canadian Whisky
• 20% Vodka
• 15% Rum
• 15% Liqueurs
• 10% Scotch/Irish Whiskey/Bourbon
• 10% Gin
• 5% Brandy/Cognac
ESTIMATING BUYING NEEDS FOR SOCIAL
FUNCTIONS
Follow these guidelines when calculating your
buying requirements:
• Generally, plan on four "standard
drinks" per person for a three-hour event.
• Multiply that by the number of guests
you expect to estimate the total "standard
drinks" you may need for the event.
• Translate this number into the appropriate
servings of wine, beer and spirits.
A "standard drink" = approximately
a 12-oz. beer, a 5-oz. glass of wine or 1.5
oz. of spirits. So, for instance, if you expect
200 guests at a three-hour reception, anticipate
serving about 800 "standard drinks".
Suppose about half the guests drink beer and
the rest, wine and spirits. The 800 "standard
drinks" would be divided as follows: 17
cases of beer (4 x 100 = 400 bottles of beer/24
= 17 cases) = 400 "standard drinks";
12 bottles of spirits, 750 mL (17 "standard
drinks" per bottle) = 204 "standard
drinks"; 40 bottles of wine, 750 mL (five
"standard drinks" per bottle) = 200
"standard drinks".
Note: We have rounded to the closest
full unit and numbers may vary slightly. Also,
when planning your purchases, remember that,
once opened, spirits and liqueurs can remain
stable for considerable periods of time, while
wine and beer will deteriorate quickly.
LUNCH
One-third of a bottle of wine per person will
give about two glasses each.
DINNER
Dinner is usually a bigger meal and lasts longer
than lunch. It often includes several courses
and matching a different wine to each course
can add to the event. With this in mind, you
may want to provide up to half a bottle of wine
per person, allowing for three glasses for each
guest.
WINE & CHEESE PARTY
If you want to be sure you have enough, you
might want to buy a little extra and estimate
that guests may drink approximately four glasses
of wine in a three-hour period. Ask your cheese
shop, but a general rule of thumb is to allow
at least a quarter pound (4 oz./114 g) per person.
Have a nice variety on hand and remember to
label the different cheeses so people know what
they are trying.
HANDY PARTY CALCULATOR*
Number
of people |
50%
Beer
(cases of 24) |
25%
Wine
(750-mL bottles) |
25%
Spirits
(750-mL bottles) |
12 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
25 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
50 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
100 |
8 |
20 |
6 |
150 |
12 |
30 |
9 |
200 |
17 |
40 |
12 |
250 |
21 |
50 |
15 |
300 |
25 |
60 |
18 |
|
* numbers based on an event of three hours'
duration.
STOCKING YOUR BAR
There are a few must-haves when stocking a bar.
Soda water, tonic water, mineral water, ginger
ale, cola (consider both regular and diet),
tomato/tomato-clam juice, orange juice, ice,
fresh lemons/limes, cocktail olives and onions,
maraschino cherries and bitters should be on
hand for preparing mixed drinks.
Here's what a complete bar might include. Whether
you stock the entire list depends on your preferences
and those of your guests.
• Red wine
• White wine
• Sparkling wine/Champagne
• Beer (domestic and imported)
• Coolers
• Vodka
• Gin
• Rum
• Whiskies (Rye, Bourbon, Irish Whiskey
and Scotch – blended and single malt),
depending on your tastes
• Dry and sweet vermouth
• Assorted liqueurs, brandies or Cognac
Of course, your bar should also include a good
variety of non-alcoholic drinks or Mocktails
for non-drinkers and designated drivers.
BAR ESSENTIALS
Next to the selection of beverages, glassware
is probably the most important component of
a well-stocked bar. Consider the following types
of glasses:
• Red wine glasses (usually 8-12 oz.)
• White wine glasses (6-10 oz.)
• Champagne flutes
• Martini glasses
• Highball/lowball glasses
• Beer glasses or steins
An ice bucket, tongs and a corkscrew complete
the mix.
SHAKEN OR STIRRED
The purpose of a shaker is not only to combine
the spirits, but also to chill the alcohol.
If you don't have a shaker, improvise by filling
a small glass container with lots of ice. Add
your cocktail ingredients and stir well until
the surface of the container begins to frost.
Strain and serve immediately.
SLICE AND DICE
Many cocktails involve some form of food preparation,
whether it's preparing fruit for blending, making
garnishes or slicing and squeezing citrus fruits.
A cutting board, juicer, blender and selection
of small knives make these tasks easier.
COCKTAIL ACCESSORIES
A selection of practical bar accessories makes
mixing and serving drinks much easier. Cocktails
are based on the art and science of matching
flavours. A serious cocktail "mixologist"
should have: a measured shot glass or jigger,
cocktail spoons, swizzle sticks, cocktail toothpicks,
muddlers (wooden pestles for crushing ice, fruits,
mint, etc.), a strainer, a paring knife and
a cocktail shaker.
