How many kegs do I need for 500 guests?

Step 1. Count the glasses

Start with your guests and the occasion. At a two-hour drinks reception a guest has one to two cocktails on average. On a festival day with several bars it is higher, but spread over more drinks. Multiply the number of guests by the cocktails per guest and you have the number of glasses.

• Example: 500 guests x 1.5 cocktails = 750 glasses

Step 2. Divide by the glasses per keg

How many glasses come out of one keg depends on the cocktail and the glass size. A highball with ice is a different serve than a coupe. We state per cocktail how many glasses you get from a keg, that is in the proposal. Divide the number of glasses by that number and round up.

• Example: 750 glasses / 80 glasses per keg = 9.4, so 10 kegs

Step 3. Spread across your taps

One tap pours one cocktail at a time. With three cocktails on the list you need at least three taps, or you swap kegs during the evening. Look at your peak hour too: if everyone is at the bar between ten and eleven, that hour sets your capacity, not the average. If you are short of taps, we can arrange an extra one together.

Step 4. Keep a margin

One keg extra beats running dry at the busiest moment. How we handle reserve and top-ups is agreed per situation, so you are not left with a surplus and do not run out either.