Event Beer Calculator
How much beer for a wedding, party, or brewery event? Plug in your headcount and event length to get total drinks needed plus a keg shopping list.
Keg shopping list
Pick the keg size that fits your event. Smaller kegs let you serve multiple beer styles; larger kegs cost less per ounce.
How the math works
drinks = guests × beer-drinker % × hours × drinks-per-hour
We add a 15% buffer automatically — no host wants to run dry an hour before the event ends. Total ounces are then divided by standard keg sizes (1/2 BBL = 1984 oz, sixtel = 661 oz, corny = 640 oz) and rounded up.
Drinking-style rates are general guidelines: Light (1/hr) for corporate or mixed events, Moderate (1.5/hr) for weddings and taproom parties, Heavy (2/hr) for beer-focused crowds. Adjust beer-drinker percentage based on your guest list.
Event Beer Planning FAQ
How many kegs do I need for 100 people?
For 100 guests at a 4-hour wedding (moderate drinkers, ~70% drinking beer, 16 oz pours): roughly 480 oz with buffer, which is one 1/2 BBL or two sixtels. For a brewery event with heavier drinkers, plan for a 1/2 BBL plus a sixtel as backup. Plug the exact numbers in above.
How much beer per person?
The standard rule of thumb is 1.5 drinks per beer-drinking guest per hour. A 4-hour event with 70% beer drinkers = roughly 4 drinks per guest, or about 64 oz (4 pints) for the average attendee. Calibrate up for hotter weather, beer-focused events, or longer parties.
What's a 1/2 BBL keg vs. a sixtel vs. a corny?
1/2 BBL (Half Barrel): 15.5 gallons, 1,984 oz, ~165 pints. The standard commercial keg.
1/6 BBL (Sixtel): 5.16 gallons, 661 oz, ~55 pints. Great for variety — three sixtels = one half barrel.
Cornelius (Corny): 5 gallons, 640 oz, ~53 pints. Most homebrew kegs are this size.
Should I order extra beer?
Yes. We've already added a 15% buffer to the count above, but for outdoor events, hot weather, or beer-forward crowds, consider going one additional sixtel over the recommendation. Leftover keg beer keeps for weeks at proper pressure and temp — running dry mid-event is far worse than having a little extra.
Hosting at your taproom?
RaspberryPints turns any TV into a digital beer menu, with auto-rotating event taps and live keg status. Free for up to 3 taps.