The glass calculator
Change anything and the numbers update. It works in whole crates where that is cheaper.
Download the one page cheat sheet (PDF)
The rule of thumb
Allow one and a half glasses per guest for a party of up to three hours, two per guest for four to five hours, and two and a half for six hours or more. That is drinking glasses in total, across everything you are pouring.
Then split that number by what people will drink. Wine does most of the work at most parties, so we weight it three times, beer and spirits twice, and cocktails and bubbles once. Wine splits sixty forty between white and red glasses.
Why you need more glasses than guests
Guests put a glass down to talk, eat or pick up a child, and then grab a fresh one rather than hunt for the first. It happens at every party. The half glass per guest in the rule of thumb is that buffer. Leave it out and you run short around nine o'clock, which is about when the washing up would have started.
Quick numbers for 20 to 150 guests
For a party of four to five hours with wine, beer and spirits, and no toast or water glasses:
| Glass | 20 guests | 50 guests | 100 guests | 150 guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Wine | 11 | 26 | 52 | 78 |
| Red Wine | 7 | 18 | 35 | 52 |
| Pilsner | 12 | 29 | 58 | 86 |
| Highball | 12 | 29 | 58 | 86 |
| Total | 42 | 102 | 203 | 302 |
A toast adds one glass per guest plus ten per cent spare. Water glasses on the tables add one highball per guest.
Adjusting for the kind of event
- Cocktail party: shorter, and heavier on cocktails and bubbles. Coupes do both.
- Sit-down dinner: a red, a white and a water glass at each setting, plus bubbles on arrival.
- Wedding: long, with a toast. Plan on two and a half glasses per guest, then add the toast and the water glasses.
- Wake: usually shorter and quieter. Wine and beer, one and a half per guest.
- Backyard birthday: wine, beer and spirits over four or five hours. Two per guest.
Pick your kind of event in the calculator and it sets these for you. You can still change them.
One glass, two jobs
A vintage coupe works for cocktails and for a toast, so a cocktail party with a toast can often use one style instead of two. Highballs cover spirits with mixers and water. A white wine glass is fine for rosé. Fewer styles means fewer crates and a simpler table.
Coupes and Palace flutes are the glasses we have fewest of, so for a toast at a big party the Classic flutes are the safe choice. The calculator warns you if you ask for more than we have.
From glasses to crates
| Glass | Crate | Per crate | Single glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Wine | 25 | $50.00 | $2.25 |
| Red Wine | 16 | $45.00 | $3.00 |
| Pilsner | 25 | $50.00 | $2.25 |
| Highball | 36 | $50.00 | $1.50 |
| Vintage Coupe | 25 | $35.00 | $1.50 |
| Classic Champagne Flute | 36 | $50.00 | $1.50 |
| Palace Champagne Flute | 25 | $50.00 | $2.50 |
Crates are usually cheaper once you need more than about two thirds of one. The calculator picks the cheaper mix for you.
A worked example
A fortieth in the backyard: 60 guests, five hours, wine, beer and spirits, and a toast in Classic flutes when the cake comes out.
| Glass | Glasses | How to hire them |
|---|---|---|
| White Wine | 31 | 1 crate of 25 + 6 single glasses |
| Red Wine | 21 | 1 crate of 16 + 5 single glasses |
| Pilsner | 35 | 1 crate of 25 + 10 single glasses |
| Highball | 35 | 1 crate of 36 |
| Classic Champagne Flute | 66 | 1 crate of 36 + 30 single glasses |
| Total | 188 |
That is 188 glasses for $341.00, for three days, with the washing included. Send us that list, or just the number of guests and the date, and we will quote it the same day.