Stocking an open bar

kirbalicious85

Help!  I have looked at several online calculators for the AMOUNTS of alcohol that one should consider purchasing for their wedding reception, but I am overwhelmed!  We are having approximately 250 guests for a 5-6 hour reception in the evening.  I have priced alchol at BevMo, and I am thinking I'll go by Sams Club, Costco and TrueWine. I am purchasing beer, wine, vodka, gin, whiskey and rum.  What is really overwhelming is the number/variety of mixers that I am looking at - would it be reasonable to just offer certain mixers? (i.e., cranberry juice, tonic, soda water, orange juice, clamato)  I'm also considering only offering one kind of beer (Budlight...we're from Yuma...).  What do you think??

nicleep

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/wedding-wine-liquor-calculator-00000000008314/index.html

Made it pretty simple when I was doing some research on this subject

As far as mixers go I say offer the ones you are thinking of.  The basic ones are all you need (unless you are offering a signature drink then get whatever you need for that) and what you listed covers your basics I think.  Don't forget champane if you are offering that or doing a toast.  I know my guests would prob be fine with just Budlight- I will prob do a full keg of that and then a half keg of something 'fancier' lol.

janjan550

I heard you can return unopened bottles of alcohol at Costco. Not sure if that's true, or maybe it's true everywhere. I could swear though that when I worked at Sam's Club in college due to liquor laws it could not be returned.  Might be worth looking into if different stores have different rules. 

I would want coke and sprite for mixers too.

sboobear03

You can return anything to Costco! So yes if you buy too much you can return it. Just double checked with FI since he works there.

NillaWafer10

We bought cases of the "two buck chuck" or Charles Shwab wine from Trader Joe's.  It's a decent wine, especially for the price.  Each bottle is $2.99, making it a really good buy.

Would it be easier if you offered a few signature drinks?  A friend of mine used the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue theme for her signature cocktails.  Her something old drink was a Manhattan, the something new drink was a trendy cocktail, her something borrowed was from their honeymoon destination, and something blue was a hypnotiq (sp?) martini.

Just a thought

NillaWafer10

If you do purchase champagne, wait till Bevmo has a 5 cent sale.  They have started offering champagnes in the sale, so they end up being roughly half off.