Setting up a bar for a private event involves more than bottles and glasses. This guide covers bar equipment, glassware quantities, ice, storage, staff ratios and how to calculate drinks for your guest count.
Setting up a bar for a private event involves more than bottles and glasses. This guide covers bar equipment, glassware quantities, ice, storage, staff ratios and how to calculate drinks for your guest count.
A bar setup for a private event involves more planning than most people expect. Get the glassware quantities wrong and you run out at 9pm. Get the ice wrong and you have warm drinks at an outdoor summer party. This guide covers the essentials: bar types, glassware quantities, ice, equipment, staffing ratios, and how to calculate drinks.
Cash bar: guests pay for their own drinks. Requires a till, card reader, float, and more stock variety since you cannot predict what people will order. Staffing needs are higher because transactions take longer than free-pour service.
Open bar: drinks are included in the ticket price or package. You control the range, so you can simplify stock. Quantities are higher because consumption increases when drinks are free, typically by 20-30% compared to a cash bar of the same length.
Drinks reception: a set selection served by staff for a fixed period, usually 1-2 hours on arrival. The most manageable format from a planning perspective. You pre-set quantities, staff circulate with trays, and there is no bar queue. Glassware consumption is higher per person because guests put glasses down and pick up new ones from passing trays.
Underestimating glassware is the most common bar planning mistake. People do not hold onto the same glass all evening.
| Format | Glass uses per person | 100 guests | 200 guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks reception (1-2 hours) | 3-4 glasses | 350-400 | 700-800 |
| Full evening bar (4+ hours) | 5-6 glasses | 550-600 | 1,100-1,200 |
| Champagne toast only | 1.1 per guest | 110 | 220 |
Always add 20% on top of your calculated quantity to cover breakages. A 500-glass order should be 600 glasses in practice. Browse our glassware hire range, which covers wine glasses, champagne flutes, hi-ball glasses, and more.
| Item | Per bar station | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Large ice buckets | 2-3 | Change ice every 45 minutes in warm conditions |
| Cocktail shakers | 2-4 | Only needed if serving cocktails |
| Bottle openers | 4 | They go missing — always have spares |
| Speed pourers | 1 per spirit bottle | Significantly faster service |
| Bar spoons | 4 | Stirring and layering |
| Bar mats | 2-3 | Drip catchers behind the bar |
| Corkscrews / wine keys | 4 | Multiple to avoid bottlenecks during service |
| Ice tongs | 2-3 | Hygiene requirement |
| Jiggers / measures | 4 | Required if measuring spirits |
| Water jugs | 2-4 | Table water service during dinner |
Browse the full bar hire range for ice buckets, bar equipment, and accessories.
The rule of thumb is 1kg of ice per person for a 4-hour event. That covers both ice for drinks and ice for cooling bottles. Double it for outdoor summer events where ambient temperature will melt ice significantly faster. For a 150-guest outdoor summer party over 4 hours, order 300kg.
Factor ice separately for each use. Ice for drinks is different from ice for chilling bottles. Do not expect bar ice to also cool your wine unless you have specifically planned for it with enough separate buckets.
Staffing ratios for a bar:
These ratios give a comfortable service level without queues forming. If your event has a spike period (everyone arrives at once, or everyone heads to the bar after speeches), plan for the peak, not the average. A 200-guest wedding with a full bar needs at least 5 bartenders at the busiest point of the evening.
Allow one bar station per 75 guests. Each station needs at least 3m of bar table space for bottles, glasses, ice, and working equipment. A 150-guest event needs two bar stations; a 300-guest event needs four.
For a single-station bar, a 6ft and an 8ft trestle table pushed together gives roughly 4.2m of surface, which is adequate for a basic beer and wine setup. Add a back bar (a second table behind the bartender for reserve stock and equipment) if space allows.
| Drink | Per person per hour | 100 guests over 4 hours | 200 guests over 4 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wine (125ml glass) | 1 glass | 400 glasses (57 bottles) | 800 glasses (114 bottles) |
| Beer / lager | 0.8 pints | 320 pints | 640 pints |
| Soft drinks | 1.5 glasses | 600 glasses | 1,200 glasses |
| Spirits (approx 30% of guests) | 1 measure | 120 measures | 240 measures |
These are averages for a mixed adult crowd. Adjust up for younger crowds and events where drinks are included; adjust down for daytime events, family gatherings, or groups with a higher proportion of non-drinkers.
Browse bar hire for equipment and accessories, and glassware hire for quantities that match your guest count. If you need help calculating what you need for a specific event, call us with your guest number and event format and we can work through it with you.
For a complete event setup, see our full range of cutlery hire, linen hire, and table hire.
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