What is a good drink cost for a cocktail?

A well-priced cocktail has a drink (pour) cost of 18–22% of the selling price — roughly a 4–6× markup on ingredient cost.

How do I price a cocktail?

Cost the ingredients on real millilitres, then divide by the target pour cost. Example: €1.90 cost at 20% → €9.50 price. Add labour for prime cost.

How many bottles do I need for an event?

It depends on guests, duration and drink mix. A prudent estimate is 2–3 drinks per head in the first two hours: use the event bottles calculator for the detail by wine, beer and sparkling.

Calcoli HoReCa — Bar & Cocktail

Bar & Cocktail Calculators

Calculate drink cost, ABV, batches, bottle yield and bar prices from real pours and recipes.

Open Cocktail Cost

The recommended path

1
Calculate the real drink cost on millilitres poured.
Cocktail cost
2
Check the drink's actual strength.
Cocktail ABV
3
Prep the batch for service with consistent pours.
Batch cocktail
4
Estimate the bottles needed for an event.
Event bottles

When to use these calculators

Use these tools when you build or tweak the drink list, decide the price of a signature, prep a batch for service or estimate bottles for an event. At the bar margin is made on precision: a few millilitres and a few cents per drink, times hundreds of services, make the difference at month end.

Practical examples by venue type

Cocktail bar

A Negroni costs €1.90 in ingredients: at 18% drink cost you sell it at €10.50. Below 20% pour cost the bar performs well.

Aperitivo

A Spritz costs €1.20: priced at €6 it has a 20% pour cost, perfect for high-volume happy hour.

Event

For 100 guests you estimate wine, beer and sparkling bottles with a prudent buffer, avoiding both waste and stock-outs.

Service

You prep a batch of 30 drinks by calculating ingredients, dilution and 750 ml bottles: faster service, consistent pours.

Reference benchmarks

Drink / pour cost18–22%Well-run cocktail bar.

Bar prime cost (pour + labour)≤ 50%Critical above 55%.

Pour waste3–5%Tastings, errors, bottle dregs.

Average cocktail markup4–6×On ingredient cost.

Indicative industry figures: they vary by format, location and period. Use them as a reference, not an absolute rule.

Common mistakes to avoid

Estimating drink cost by eye instead of real millilitres poured: the 'generous' jigger erodes margin without you noticing.
Ignoring waste: tastings, pour errors and bottle dregs add to the real cost per service.
Pricing every drink with the same markup: high-rotation classics can hold a higher pour cost, signatures less.
Forgetting labour cost: at the bar prime cost (pour + staff) matters more than drink cost alone.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good drink cost for a cocktail?: A well-priced cocktail has a drink (pour) cost of 18–22% of the selling price — roughly a 4–6× markup on ingredient cost.
How do I price a cocktail?: Cost the ingredients on real millilitres, then divide by the target pour cost. Example: €1.90 cost at 20% → €9.50 price. Add labour for prime cost.
How many bottles do I need for an event?: It depends on guests, duration and drink mix. A prudent estimate is 2–3 drinks per head in the first two hours: use the event bottles calculator for the detail by wine, beer and sparkling.