Serving Alcohol to a Crowd
Serving alcoholic beverages is a sensitive matter. Serving alcohol to any sized crowd is a thoroughly daunting undertaking! The decision should not be taken lightly especially if it is uncharted territory.
If possible, hire a mobile bartending service which will customize a package based on your needs and budget.
The responsibility and importance of alcohol safety cannot be stressed enough. In some states, a host can be held criminally libel, if a guest becomes inebriated and then injures themselves or others. While it may be difficult, it is not impossible to keep an eye on how much alcohol is being consumed and by whom. Enlist the help of volunteers, friends and designated drivers. Above all else:
DO NOT LET YOUR GUESTS DRIVE DRUNK!
Timely Tips
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Make sure the site where your event will be held allows alcohol to be served and if so, what are the policies and restrictions.
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Also check with your county, city or town regarding serving and/or charging for alcohol at a public or private event
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Alcohol is very expensive and is generally reserved for special occasions such as a wedding reception, congratulatory event or for a cocktail party
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Always have non-alcoholic drinks available for those intersested
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Always have nibbles/food available to absorb alcohol and attempt to mitigate alcohol effects
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For larger functions, consider contracting with professional bar staff. This will help with portion control and consumption monitoring. Emphasize the importance of not serving to minors. Make sure the individual and/or company is licensed to serve alcohol
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If you cannot hire professional staff, have knowledgeable, responsible volunteers pour wine or make drinks, not the guests
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Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the end of the event and serve coffee and dessert as soon as possible to slow the effects of alcohol absorption
Bar Set-Up Options
Here are a few suggestions for serving alcoholic beverages:
Open Bar
Clearly the most expensive choice. To cut costs, you might limit the alcohol selection to beer and wine or wine spritzers.
Cash Bar
Best reserved for a late dinner or cocktail party. Make sure guests are notified so they will know to bring cash. Depending on the regulations of your locale, you may only be able to charge to cover the cost of the alcohol, cups, mixers etc. Make sure a cash bar is appropriate for your guests and for the occasion.
Limited or Split Open Bar
Host an open bar for a select period, such as at the beginning of the party with appetizers. You could also start the party with an open bar and at some point switch to a cash bar for the remainder of the event. This is good for long-running events such as wedding receptions.
BYOB - Bring Your Own Bottle / Booze
Maybe an “old school” concept, but there are actually BYOB restaurants open all across the country. Guests bring their own libations and customarily, the host or establishment provides ice and glassware but not necessarily the mixers, sodas etc. Again, you would need to verify if facility and community ordinances consent to this practice.
What to Serve
As expected, the budget will drive the types, brands and amounts of alcohol and accompaniments that you are able to purchase
Take your best guess as to what kind of alcohol your guests will prefer based on age, gender and occasion. Also consider the type of foods being served. Wine and beer are always the safest and easiest choice. This duo will satisfy the majority of people and you will most likely have few complaints.
Light wines, fruit flavored frozen drinks and Proseccos are nice for a brunch or luncheon.
Wines and hard liquor are best for dinners while cocktail parties are open to a variety of beverages.
Some cocktails will require different types of alcohol and equipment like blenders, jiggers, strainers and specialized glassware. To keep things easy, offer only simple mixed drinks such as bourbon and water and scotch and soda. Save the fancy concoctions for your next smaller soiree.
How Much Alcohol to Serve
Aside from the budget, calculating the number of drinks to serve per person is by and large based on the length of the party. The time of day is a factor but not necessarily the occasion.
The alcohol consumed at an early afternoon holiday party will be less then at an evening holiday party. One exception is a wedding reception. Guests tend to “live it up” on such occasions.
A cocktail party will require the most amounts of alcohol and brunches and lunches the least. Dinner parties are somewhere in the middle as drinks can be served before, during and after dinner.
If you check several different sources within the foodservice industry, you will get several different estimates on how much alcohol to serve.
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An easy and conservative estimate for a dinner party is 1 drink per person per hour.
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Another estimate used by caterers for cocktail parties is 2 drinks per person for the first hour of the party and 1 drink per person per hour for the remainder of the party.
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So, for a 3 hour party, each person will drink approximately 4 drinks; 5 drinks for a 4 hour party and so on.
Keep in mind that not all of your guests will drink, either because they do not drink or they are choosing not to for this occasion.
In order not to over buy and based on what you know about your crowd, estimate the percentage of adults that will not imbibe. A generic estimate would be about 10% to 20%. Be sure to have tasty non-alcoholic drinks available for them.
Ice can't be overlooked but is almost as important as the beverage themselves!
If you do not have access to ample refrigeration and/or freezer space, you will have to consider purchasing ice and figuring out how to keep it from melting too quickly.
Purchase ice and store in large coolers, tubs, barrels etc. You may also need to separate "clean" ice from the ice that you use to chill canned soda, other bottled drinks and water glasses.
Ice will definitely be needed for beers, mixed alcoholic drinks and for blended specialty drinks such as Daiquiris or Margaritas. Bottles of white wine and Champagne may also need to be iced.
Ice calculations are also based on the length of the party and the weather. The longer the party and the warmer the weather, the more ice you will need.