Party Bar/Beverage station : Suggestions on Stocking

[Lady_X]

I think if you wanted to keep it really simple you could just do away with all mixed drinks.

And just get a huge variety of bottled beverages to put on ice.
Sodas, beers, soda water, water, juice, margarita or sangria type drinks

Or! Just set up a table with the different punches. A couple alcoholic ones and a couple non alcoholic ones.

And that's it.

 

[Spamtar]

^I would like to have some mixers but I understand what you are saying and think I will go light on the mixer and garnish selection (focus more on the universal mixers (oj,soda water, cola, margarita mix) as opposed to the more limited specific/specialty mixtures

 

[Lady_X]

So just a table with a lot of bottles and cups and an ice bucket? And maybe coolers of beer? Is that the vision you have in mind?

 

[Randomnity]

You really need a dedicated bartender for that many people if you're doing mixed drinks. Could be paid or a friend who is a good enough friend to sacrifice their fun at the wedding (nicer to just pay someone, I'd say).

If you have many different kinds of juice/soda and the basic kinds of liquor (rum, vodka, tequila, gin, plus a few liqueurs like triple sec and whatever else you think your guests will like) you can do an amazing variety of mixed drinks that don't require much skill to make. Punch or sangria is also a good idea. All of these are very reasonable in price, with base ingredients that are generally cheaper than beer or wine (although those are nice too).

Really though if you're doing it bbq style people probably won't have very high expectations anyway and will be happy with wine+beer - bonus if you add a better tasting thing like punch/sangria/mixed drinks.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

To echo [MENTION=3]MacGuffin[/MENTION] I would say you should skip the tender and booze if you don't want to spring for a least mid shelf bottles.

On a budget I would get a bunch of beer and ice, some bottles of wine, and either make an alcoholic punch, or do margaritas or some other common favorite mixed drink.

 

[Spamtar]

So just a table with a lot of bottles and cups and an ice bucket? And maybe coolers of beer? Is that the vision you have in mind?

This is what I have in mind in general (what described in Randomnity post) There is a long narrow buffet table that looks like it would work well. (reminder to self bring stool for bartender to sit on). Also a good amount of rather good 750 ml wine mostly merlot and pinot grigio that I have collected over serval months when I see recommended wines on sale for a good price as well as some more champaign (about 25 bottles plus 10 bottles of matching champaign on the tables for the first toast (30 750 ml total.) Vodka ( (2) 1.75 liter bottles, Rum (1) 1.75 bottle, Spiced Rum (1) 1.75 liter bottle, Bourbon (1) 1.75 liter bottle (2) 750 ml bottles of tequila and a few random 750 ml bottles of various hard alcohol. I also have (6) bottles of some cheap, fair tasting, 2.5 liter wine if we run out as a back up or to make wine coolers/sangria.

I need to get more beer a I only have about (3) 30 packs of bud/bud lite ( how much more beer for your normal mixed crowd of 75 with 2/3 drinkers. (is there a free on-line drink amount calculator lol?) I have about 250 soda/ice tea/bottled water/juice cans and I will have a 100 cup coffee machine with extra coffee and a 5 gallon jug of water.

You really need a dedicated bartender for that many people if you're doing mixed drinks. Could be paid or a friend who is a good enough friend to sacrifice their fun at the wedding (nicer to just pay someone, I'd say).

If you have many different kinds of juice/soda and the basic kinds of liquor (rum, vodka, tequila, gin, plus a few liqueurs like triple sec and whatever else you think your guests will like) you can do an amazing variety of mixed drinks that don't require much skill to make. Punch or sangria is also a good idea. All of these are very reasonable in price, with base ingredients that are generally cheaper than beer or wine (although those are nice too).

Really though if you're doing it bbq style people probably won't have very high expectations anyway and will be happy with wine+beer - bonus if you add a better tasting thing like punch/sangria/mixed drinks.

 

[Lady_X]

Wine is expensive and will go fast. You will need a lot of bottles of wine.

Least expensive option IMO is two different kinds of punch. With and w/o alcohol

How many people?

You could get that margarita that already has the tequila in it.

 

[Spamtar]

To echo [MENTION=3]MacGuffin[/MENTION] I would say you should skip the tender and booze if you don't want to spring for a least mid shelf bottles.

On a budget I would get a bunch of beer and ice, some bottles of wine, and either make an alcoholic punch, or do margaritas or some other common favorite mixed drink.

most of the booze and wine is mid shelf. Now that you mention it I think I will focus on 6 primary mixers/mixed drinks.
1. OJ hard alch mix
2. Margarita mix (a huge Spanish Fiesta is happening in my town at the same time so in will play out on the ongoing Spanish theme - Note to self get more tequila)
3. Fruit punch and hard alch mix
4. Cola and hard alch mix
5. Unflavored soda water/water and hard alch mix
6. dark and white vermouth and hard alch

A. Garnishes
1. Limes
2. Lemons
3. Bitters
4. Cherries/Grenadine
5. Olives

 

[Lady_X]

Wow that is sooooo involved. I just would not do it at all.

How much do you have budgeted for that?

 

[Lady_X]

I mean you really don't need to be making martinis at a BBQ do you?

Why don't you get a champagne punch, Quervo gold margarita with tequila in it, bourbon & coke, vodka cranberry, and people can have plain coke or plain cranberry or beer or water

I still think that's overboard... But it's not martinis and olives and drinks with cherries and blenders etc

People really are not going to expect a million different choices. 3 or 4 is sufficient.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

If I were you, and I wasn't going to spring for a bar tender, I would probably just do 2 or three mixed drinks.

Hunch punch is the cheapest to make in big batches, and can really help you stretch a budget.

Out of the mixed drinks you listed, the most popular are going to be the punch, the margarita, and the cola and alc.

The OJ for screw drivers is expensive, and girls love screw drivers so you'd be smart to get a lot of OJ if you are going to do those.

Not as many people are fans of Gin and tonics, and the ingredients can get pricey.

And I would skip the price of vermouth as well.

Its usually cheaper to by a bunch of a few things than to buy a bunch of different things.

I would also get PBR, Keystone, Natty Light or some other cheap equivalent for your beer.

Wine's going to be expensive, I would try to have a few bottles but don't buy a ton. Try and get people drinking the punch.

 

[Spamtar]

I checked out this nifty wedding party alcohol calculator although I didn't do precise calculations after entering in my estimations I feel I am pretty close on having enough booze but need to get more beer.

See: http://www.thealcoholcalculator.com/?config=SmallWedding

Also as a side note although less helpful this bar-b-que calculator is pretty nifty too.

See: http://bbqplanner.com/

 

[Spamtar]

I mean you really don't need to be making martinis at a BBQ do you?

Why don't you get a champagne punch, Quervo gold margarita with tequila in it, bourbon & coke, vodka cranberry, and people can have plain coke or plain cranberry or beer or water

I still think that's overboard... But it's not martinis and olives and drinks with cherries and blenders etc

People really are not going to expect a million different choices. 3 or 4 is sufficient.

On second thought you raise good points and it makes me rethink bringing a blender and instead keep the expectations moderate as far as drink selection. Since I have only one 750 ml bottle of white vermouth I will limit the vermouth to that. If a lot of requests for martini's than I will instruct the bartender to make them dry.

 

[Lady_X]

What's the misses say?

I mean 75 people!! Even if not all of them drink!! That is going to be crazy expensive if you go this route.

 

[Randomnity]

most of the booze and wine is mid shelf. Now that you mention it I think I will focus on 6 primary mixers/mixed drinks.
1. OJ hard alch mix
2. Margarita mix (a huge Spanish Fiesta is happening in my town at the same time so in will play out on the ongoing Spanish theme - Note to self get more tequila)
3. Fruit punch and hard alch mix
4. Cola and hard alch mix
5. Unflavored soda water/water and hard alch mix
6. dark and white vermouth and hard alch

A. Garnishes
1. Limes
2. Lemons
3. Bitters
4. Cherries/Grenadine
5. Olives

I'd probably axe 5 and 6, and maybe 1, and ditch the garnishes for a BBQ - they're a pain and don't really add much if the atmosphere is already casual (unless your bartender is doing it for kicks and wants to play around with them). Beers and maybe a bottle of wine on the table for dinner if you want.

The margarita mix and punch can be made ahead of time, streamlining your bartender's work, and could be self-serve or not as you prefer. The coke would get flat of course, but could also be self-serve - in this case you wouldn't really need a bartender unless you want someone to babysit.

I agree with [MENTION=5418]Lady X[/MENTION] that martinis are unnecessary and a bit odd for a bbq wedding - unless you're specifically catering to some favourite friends who loooove classic martinis (and nothing else), I'd ditch those. Most people will go for the more tasty drinks, IME (I've bartended for fun for a few parties about half that size, different age group though).

 

[PeaceBaby]

I agree with everyone else here - you are really over-thinking this!

You're on a budget, so either you're open bartending it or you're not - there's no such this as half-way on this IMO, because people inevitably will ask for stuff you don't have and you'll run out of other things! I would skip hard alcohol altogether if I were you.

Just serve one FANCY mixed signature drink - name something fun and easy after your wife-to-be and announce it as the drink of the night, then have wine, wine spritzers, punch (alcohol + no alcohol) and a selection of beers. The wine doesn't have to be that pricey either - go Oak Leaf, soak off the labels and get budget labels printed up with your names & wedding date, or print them yourself, it's very doable at less than 15 or 20 cents a label.

Done!

 

[Spamtar]

In retrospect I bought way too much booze for a daytime reception. People, including my Dad, were not drinking but helping themselves to whole bottles at the end of the ceremony (sob)

if I were to do a do over I would keep it simple with mostly sparkling wine, a case of beer and a magnum of tequila