How Much Liquor for a Party of 20, and Who Serves It (2026)

How much liquor for a party of 20? For a six hour house party in Gurugram, plan on five or six bottles of spirits and one case of 12 beers, which also stays inside Haryana's home limit. That is a planning estimate, so this guide shows the sum and how to change it for your own crowd.

The second question gets less attention: who pours? We cover that too, along with ice, mixers and the point where you need a licence.

In Gurugram? A Barmen runner goes to a licensed store for you and brings your bottles, mixers and snacks home. You pay the shop directly. 21+ only, ID checked at handover. Say Hi to Barmen on WhatsApp

The sum, in three steps

You need three numbers: how many guests drink, how many drinks each, and how long the party runs.

Step 1: count the drinkers. At a house party, about 80 percent of guests usually drink. Out of 20 guests, that is 16 people. Count your own list if you can, because this number moves the bill more than any other.

Step 2: count the drinks. Plan on 4 drinks per person over 6 hours. So 16 people need 64 drinks.

Step 3: add a buffer. Add 15 percent so that nobody runs out at 11 pm. That makes about 74 drinks.

These are Barmen's planning numbers for events, not a rule and not advice to drink that much. Treat the total as a ceiling for the evening.

What 74 drinks means in bottles

For a North Indian crowd that leans towards whisky, a common split is half whisky, a fifth vodka, about an eighth gin and the rest beer. Here is what that gives you:

• Whisky: 37 drinks. At a 60 ml pour, a 750 ml bottle gives 12 drinks, so buy 3 or 4 bottles.

• Vodka: 15 drinks. At a 45 ml pour, a 750 ml bottle gives 16 drinks, so buy 1 bottle.

• Gin: 9 drinks. Buy 1 bottle.

• Beer: 13 drinks. Buy 1 case of 12 bottles of 650 ml.

Your crowd may look different, so change the list like this:

• Only 10 people drink: 10 x 4, plus the buffer, is 46 drinks. That is about 3 or 4 bottles of spirits and a few beers.

• Everyone drinks: 20 x 4, plus the buffer, is 92 drinks. Buy 4 bottles of whisky, 2 of vodka and 1 of gin, and keep the beer at one case.

• A four hour party: multiply by 4 and divide by 6. The 74 drinks become about 49.

• Whisky and beer only: skip the vodka and gin and buy 5 or 6 bottles of whisky with the same case of beer.

• Some guests want wine: a 750 ml bottle gives 5 glasses of 150 ml. If a fifth of the drinks are wine, buy 3 bottles and drop the gin.

• A beer crowd: if half the drinks are beer, that is about 37 bottles, or 3 cases. This is the one plan that crosses the home limit. See the licence section below.

The rest of the list

People remember the bottles and forget everything else. For 16 people drinking, these rough numbers work well:

• Ice: about 1 kg per drinking guest, so 16 kg. This is the item that runs out first.

• Soda, cola and tonic: about 9 to 10 litres, based on 150 ml of mixer in each spirit drink.

• Water: at least 6 litres, kept where guests can see it.

• Glasses: two per guest, so 40. Plastic is fine if you have no bartender.

• A peg measure: one small steel measure. It is the cheapest thing on this list and it protects the whole sum.

Why the measure matters: pour by eye and a 60 ml drink often becomes 90 ml. Then a bottle gives 8 drinks instead of 12, and 4 bottles of whisky give 32 drinks instead of 48. You lose a third of your stock without anyone drinking a single extra glass.

The catch: the list is the easy part

Picture Neha in a flat in Sushant Lok, with 20 people coming at 8 pm on a Saturday. She has done the sum. It is 6:30 pm, and she still has to go out, find parking near the market, wait at the counter in the evening rush and carry a case of beer up from the car. Then she remembers the ice, which is a second stop. Her guests arrive while she is still looking for soda.

Later the same evening, she is the bartender too. She pours, washes glasses and fetches ice from the kitchen. At 11 pm she has spoken to four of her 20 guests.

Both problems have the same answer: someone else does that part.

Gurugram mein ho? Barmen ka runner aapki taraf se licensed store se bottle, mixers aur chakna le aata hai. Aap dukaan ko seedha pay karte ho. Sirf 21+, handover pe ID check. WhatsApp pe Hi bolo

Do you need a licence for 20 people in Gurugram?

Usually not, if the party is at your own home and the stock stays inside your personal limit. Here is how we read Haryana's Excise Policy 2025-27, which runs to 31 March 2027. It is a plain reading, not legal advice, so confirm anything close to the line with the district excise office.

The limit per person, in clause 12.14, covers both keeping and carrying:

• IMFL: 12 bottles of 750 ml.

• Imported, bottled in origin: 12 bottles of 750 ml.

• Beer: 12 bottles of 650 ml, or about 15 cans of 500 ml by total volume.

• Rum, wine, vodka, gin and cider: 12 bottles of 750 ml in total.

Our list of five or six bottles and one case fits under any reading of that table. Beer is where people cross it. A second case is 24 bottles, and that is above the limit.

If you go above it, the licence is an L-12A, which you apply for online:

• At your own home: Rs. 5,000 per day per function.

• At a venue inside Gurugram or Manesar municipal limits: Rs. 20,000 if the venue is not registered with the excise department, and Rs. 15,000 if it is.

• Timing: apply at least three working days before the event. The licence lasts up to 2 am the next day.

• Buying: the stock comes from the nearest shops of three different retail licensees.

A banquet hall or hotel that serves without one risks a penalty starting at Rs. 50,000. So a venue will often ask you for the licence first.

Who serves: three real options

You pour. It costs nothing and it works for a small group of close friends. You give up the party, and the pours tend to run heavy.

A friend pours. This is the usual Indian answer. It works until 10 pm, when your friend starts drinking too. Nobody is then counting drinks or watching who has had enough.

You hire a bartender. For 20 guests, one bartender is enough. Barmen plans one bartender per 45 guests at events. A good bartender measures every pour, keeps the table clean, makes sure there is water around and notices when a guest should stop. They will also tell you what was used, so the stock does not disappear into a guess.

Before you hire anyone, ask these questions:

1. Who brings the tools, the measures and the glasses?

2. Who brings the ice and mixers, or do you buy them?

3. How many hours does the price cover?

4. What happens to unopened bottles at the end? The answer should be simple: they stay with you.

5. Will the bartender refuse a guest who has had too much, or anyone under age?

The last answer matters most. In Haryana the legal drinking age is 21, so nobody under 21 should be served at your party, however close the family is. It also helps to arrange cabs in advance, so that nobody drives home.

If you are hosting in Delhi instead

The rules change at the border. Delhi's drinking age is 25, its home limit is 9 litres, and a P-10 permit applies when you go above that limit or use a banquet hall or farmhouse. Our guide on booking liquor for a party in Delhi covers it.

You may also have seen the news about online booking at DSIIDC shops. It lets you pay first, but you still collect the bottles yourself within 48 hours, and it only covers those Delhi shops. The steps are in our Delhi Liquor Booking app guide. It does not work in Gurugram, and bottles bought in Gurugram should not go to a Delhi party.

Planning a party or wedding in Delhi? Barmen handles the P-10 licence, the bar and the bartenders. Plan it with Barmen on WhatsApp

Frequently Asked Questions

How much liquor for a party of 20 people?

For a six hour house party where about 16 of 20 guests drink, plan on 74 drinks. That is 3 or 4 bottles of whisky, 1 of vodka, 1 of gin and a case of 12 beers, all in standard sizes. Reduce it for a shorter party or fewer drinkers. This is a planning estimate, not a rule.

How many drinks are there in a 750 ml bottle?

At a 60 ml pour, which is common for whisky, a 750 ml bottle gives 12 drinks. At a 45 ml pour, common for vodka and gin in mixers, it gives 16 drinks. Wine gives about 5 glasses of 150 ml. If you pour by eye, expect fewer drinks than these numbers.

How much ice do I need for 20 guests?

Plan on about 1 kg per guest who drinks, so around 16 kg for a typical party of 20. Ice melts faster than people expect, so keep it in an insulated box or a bucket and buy it close to the start. It is the item most hosts run short of.

Do I need a licence for a house party in Gurugram?

As we read Haryana's Excise Policy 2025-27, you do not need one at home while your stock stays inside the personal limit, such as 12 bottles of 650 ml beer. Above that limit, an L-12A costs Rs. 5,000 per day at your own home. Apply at least three working days before.

Can someone fetch the bottles for me in Gurugram?

You can appoint a Barmen runner on WhatsApp, in the Golf Course Road up to Sun City, DLF Phase 1 to 5, Sushant Lok and Galleria areas. The runner never buys for you. You pay the licensed shop directly and the bill is in your name. It is 21+ only, ID checked at handover.

Do I need a bartender for 20 guests?

No, but one helps. One bartender can handle 20 guests easily. The main gains are measured pours, so your stock lasts as planned, and a person watching who has had enough. It also means you get to spend the evening with your guests. Ask what the price covers before you book.

In Gurugram? A Barmen runner goes to a licensed store for you, and Barmen can send a bartender for the evening. You pay the shop directly. 21+ only, ID checked at handover. Say Hi to Barmen on WhatsApp

Run a liquor shop yourself? See how BottleShop's billing software handles the evening rush, look at the features, and compare the plans.

Last updated: 2 November 2026