Restaurant scenarioExample 1
Whiskey pour
$30 bottle, 750 ml, 45 ml pour, $0.25 garnish, $12 menu → about 17.1% pour cost (excellent for spirits).
Food cost
Drink Cost Calculator
Calculate cocktail or pour cost from bottle price, bottle size, and pour size. Add mixers and garnishes, then see pour cost % or a suggested menu price.
Drink cost formulas
Formula
Pours per container = Bottle volume ÷ Pour volume Spirit (base) cost per pour = Bottle cost ÷ Pours per container Drink cost = Base pour cost + Mixer cost + Garnish cost Pour cost % = (Drink cost ÷ Menu price) × 100 Suggested menu price = Drink cost ÷ (Target pour cost % ÷ 100) Category pour-cost bands: Spirits/cocktails 18–22% Beer 20–25% Wine 22–28% Mocktail 12–18%
What it means
Drink cost turns a bottle or keg into a per-serving cost, then compares that cost to the menu price. Use the same volume unit for bottle and pour (ml with ml, or oz with oz). Period Pour Cost % still belongs on the Pour Cost Calculator after the drink is selling.
Good to know
- Bottle and pour volumes use the same unit.
- One primary bottle or keg plus optional mixer and garnish dollars.
- Category bands are planning guides, not accounting rules.
Ideal range
- Not period Pour Cost %. Use Pour Cost for bar-wide beverage cost %.
- Not Menu Price for food plates. Use Menu Price for plate-cost pricing.
- Not multi-line recipe costing with many spirits (enter blended mixer $).
Variables
- Bottle costContainer cost
- Invoice cost of the bottle, can, or keg.
- Bottle / pour volumeMatching volumes
- Container size and recipe pour in the same unit.
- Mixer / garnishPer-drink add-ons
- Extra ingredient dollars beyond the primary pour.
- Menu price / target %Pricing inputs
- Menu price unlocks pour cost %. Target % unlocks a suggested price.
Assumptions
- Theoretical drink cost assumes measured pours to recipe.
Limitations
- No foam, line loss, or spillage adjustment beyond what you bake into cost.
Worked examples
Real numbers through the same formula this tool uses.
- 1
- 2Restaurant scenarioExample 2
Cocktail priced to 20% pour cost
$28 bottle / 750 ml, 45 ml pour, $0.40 mixer, $0.15 garnish, target 20% → suggested menu near $11.15.
- 3Restaurant scenarioExample 3
Draft beer
$120 keg, 1,984 oz, 16 oz pour, $7 menu → about 13.8% pour cost (excellent for beer).
How to use the drink cost calculator
Pick a category, enter bottle and pour sizes in the same unit, add optional mixers, then price or set a target.
Choose the drink category
Spirits, beer, wine, or mocktail sets the healthy pour-cost band.
Enter bottle cost and volume
Use the invoice cost and labeled size (for example 750 ml or 25.4 oz).
Enter the pour volume
Match the recipe pour in the same unit as the bottle volume.
Add mixer and garnish if needed
Include juices, syrups, and garnishes so drink cost is complete.
Add menu price or target pour cost
Menu price shows pour cost %. Target % suggests a selling price.
How to read your drink cost
Drink cost is theoretical cost for one serving. Pour cost % only appears when you enter a menu price.
Start with drink cost dollars
That is base pour cost plus mixer and garnish. It is what one correctly poured drink should cost.
Check pours per container
Fewer pours than the label implies usually means the pour size is too large for the price.
Read pour cost % against the category band
Spirits, beer, wine, and mocktails use different healthy ranges. Do not force one target on every format.
Use suggested price when targeting a %
Suggested menu price is drink cost divided by your target pour cost. Round up to a menu-friendly number.
Compare later to period pour cost
Theoretical drink cost should sit near actual bar pour cost. A wide gap means over-pours, comps, or theft.
Practical bar use cases
Where managers put drink cost to work.
Price a new cocktail
Cost the pour before it hits the menu, then set price from a target pour cost.
Compare well vs call brands
Swap bottle cost to see how a premium brand changes drink cost and required price.
Test a happy-hour price
Drop menu price and check whether pour cost stays inside the category band.
Cost a draft pour
Use keg cost and ounces poured to set glass prices that protect beer margin.
Best practices for drink costing
Habits that keep theoretical drink cost useful on the floor.
Keep volumes in one unit
Convert oz to ml (or the reverse) before entering bottle and pour sizes.
Include mixers and garnishes
Fresh juice and house syrups quietly erase cocktail margin if you ignore them.
Cost the pour you actually train
If the recipe says 1.5 oz but the team free-pours 2 oz, theoretical cost is fiction.
Re-cost when invoices move
Supplier increases change drink cost overnight. Update bottle cost before reprinting menus.
Use category targets, not one bar number
Wine by the glass often runs higher pour cost than well spirits and still makes healthy dollars.
Common drink cost mistakes
Errors that make a drink look cheaper than it is.
Mixing ml and oz
A 750 bottle with a 1.5 pour is wrong unless both are the same unit.
Skipping garnish and mixer cost
Pennies per drink become real money across hundreds of covers.
Treating drink cost as period pour cost
One cocktail’s math does not replace weekly inventory-adjusted pour cost.
Ignoring draft foam and line loss
Beer yield is lower than perfect math. Build a small loss into keg cost if needed.
Using one pour-cost target for every drink
Forcing wine to a spirits target underprices wine or overprices cocktails.
People also ask
Short answers bartenders and managers ask about drink cost.
How do you calculate cost per pour?
Divide bottle cost by (bottle volume ÷ pour volume). Add mixer and garnish for full drink cost.
How do you cost a cocktail?
Sum the cost of each poured spirit and modifier for the recipe amounts, then divide by menu price for pour cost %.
What is a good cocktail pour cost?
Many full-service bars aim for roughly 18–22% on spirits and cocktails.
How do I price a drink from cost?
Divide drink cost by your target pour cost percent. A $2.20 drink at 20% needs about an $11.00 menu price.
Is drink cost the same as food cost?
No. Drink cost is beverage ingredients per serving. Food cost uses kitchen food cost and food sales.
How many 1.5 oz pours in a 750 ml bottle?
About 16.9 pours (750 ml ≈ 25.4 oz ÷ 1.5). Always convert units before dividing.
Related RestaurantMetric tools
Move from one drink’s cost into period pour cost, pricing, and kitchen cost.
Pour Cost Calculator
Track bar-wide beverage cost % after drinks are selling.
Menu Price Calculator
Price food plates from plate cost and a target cost %.
Recipe Cost Calculator
Cost kitchen recipes ingredient by ingredient.
Gross Profit Calculator
See dollar and percent profit from sales and cost.
Food Cost Percentage Calculator
Keep kitchen cost % separate from the bar.
Frequently asked questions
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