Pour Cost Calculator

What Is Pour Cost and Why It Matters

Pour cost is the percentage of a drink's selling price that goes toward the cost of the alcohol and mixers used to make it. It is the single most important metric for bar profitability. The formula is straightforward: divide the total drink cost by the selling price and multiply by 100. A drink that costs $1.50 to make and sells for $8.00 has a pour cost of 18.75 percent. Bars that track and optimize pour cost consistently outperform those that price drinks by guesswork. Industry average pour cost across all beverage categories is 18 to 24 percent for spirits, 20 to 25 percent for beer, 25 to 35 percent for wine, and 18 to 22 percent for cocktails.

How to Calculate Pours Per Bottle

Knowing how many drinks you can serve from a single bottle is essential for pricing and inventory. A standard 750ml bottle contains 25.36 ounces. With a standard 1.5-ounce pour, you get approximately 16 drinks per bottle. With a 1-ounce pour for cocktails, that number jumps to 25. A liter bottle yields about 22 standard pours. To calculate pours per bottle, convert the bottle size from milliliters to ounces by dividing by 29.5735, then divide by your pour size. This calculator handles the conversion automatically. Tracking pours per bottle also helps you detect over-pouring, which is one of the biggest sources of lost revenue in bars.

Drink Pricing Strategies for Maximum Profit

There are several proven pricing strategies for bar owners. Cost-plus pricing sets a target pour cost percentage and divides the drink cost by that target to get the selling price. Competitive pricing matches local market rates regardless of pour cost. Psychological pricing uses charm prices like $7.99 or $12 instead of round numbers. Premium positioning prices signature cocktails higher to signal quality. The most effective approach combines cost-plus pricing with market awareness. Set your pour cost target at 18 to 22 percent for spirits, check that the resulting price is competitive locally, then adjust. This calculator shows you pricing at four different pour cost targets so you can choose the best balance of competitiveness and profit.

Building a Profitable Bar Menu

A well-engineered bar menu balances high-margin and low-margin drinks to hit an overall pour cost target. Start by calculating the pour cost for every drink on your menu using the multi-drink mode above. Identify drinks with pour costs above 25 percent and consider raising their prices, reducing portion sizes, or finding cheaper ingredient substitutes. Feature your highest-profit drinks prominently on the menu with descriptions and callout boxes. Train bartenders to upsell premium spirits, which often have better margins than well drinks despite higher bottle costs. Review and update your bar menu pricing quarterly as supplier costs change.