{
  "slug": "pour-cost-calculator",
  "title": "Pour Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Bar Pour Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pour-cost-calculator",
  "summary": "Liquor cost per drink as a percentage of the price you charge.",
  "description": "Pour cost is the bar's version of food cost: the cost of the liquor in a drink divided by the drink's price. A 750ml bottle yields about 25.4 standard 1oz shots (16 shots at 1.5oz), so bottle cost divided by shots per bottle gives you the cost per pour. Add mixers if relevant, divide by the drink price, and you get pour cost percentage. Well drinks typically target 18-22% pour cost, call and premium liquor drinks run 20-24%, and specialty craft cocktails with fresh juice and multiple components often run higher, 24-28%, because of labor-intensive ingredients — that's fine since cocktails carry higher price points and margin dollars. Beer and wine run differently: draft beer pour cost is usually 18-24% and wine by the glass 25-30% due to opened-bottle waste. This calculator handles the base spirit cost and lets you compare against target to see if a drink needs a price bump or a recipe adjustment.",
  "formula": "Cost per pour = bottle cost ÷ pours per bottle. Pour cost % = (cost per pour + mixer cost) ÷ drink price × 100.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=pour-cost-calculator",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "bottleCost",
      "label": "Bottle cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 24,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "bottleSizeMl",
      "label": "Bottle size",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 750,
      "unit": "ml",
      "min": 50,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "pourOz",
      "label": "Pour size",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.5,
      "unit": "oz",
      "min": 0.25,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "mixerCost",
      "label": "Mixer / garnish cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.4,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "drinkPrice",
      "label": "Drink price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "pourCostPct",
      "label": "Pour cost %",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "costPerPour",
      "label": "Total cost per drink",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "pours",
      "label": "Pours per bottle",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "marginDollar",
      "label": "Gross margin per drink",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Bottle cost: 24 $",
      "Bottle size: 750 ml",
      "Pour size: 1.5 oz",
      "Mixer / garnish cost: 0.4 $",
      "Drink price: 12 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Pour cost %: 15.2%",
      "Total cost per drink: $1.82",
      "Pours per bottle: 16.9",
      "Gross margin per drink: $10.18"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter bottle cost ($).",
      "Enter bottle size (ml).",
      "Enter pour size (oz).",
      "Enter mixer / garnish cost ($).",
      "Enter drink price ($).",
      "Read your pour cost % on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "bottleCost": 14.399999999999999,
        "bottleSizeMl": 450,
        "pourOz": 0.8999999999999999,
        "mixerCost": 0.24,
        "drinkPrice": 7.199999999999999
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "bottleCost": 24,
        "bottleSizeMl": 750,
        "pourOz": 1.5,
        "mixerCost": 0.4,
        "drinkPrice": 12
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "bottleCost": 38.400000000000006,
        "bottleSizeMl": 1200,
        "pourOz": 2.4000000000000004,
        "mixerCost": 0.6400000000000001,
        "drinkPrice": 19.200000000000003
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What is a good pour cost target?",
      "a": "Most bars target a blended 18-24% across the full beverage program. Well drinks should run tighter, near 18-20%, while premium and craft cocktails can run 24-28% because guests pay more for perceived quality and the margin dollars are still higher."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why does bottle size matter so much?",
      "a": "A 1.75L handle yields roughly 39 pours at 1.5oz versus 16.9 for a 750ml bottle, dramatically changing your cost per pour even at similar per-ounce pricing. Buying larger formats for high-volume wells is one of the easiest cost levers a bar has."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I account for over-pouring?",
      "a": "This calculator assumes exact pours. In practice, free-pouring bartenders average 20-30% over the intended pour size, which is why standardized jiggers or metered pour spouts typically cut liquor cost by 3-5 percentage points."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I include garnish and mixer cost every time?",
      "a": "Yes for any drink where mixers are a meaningful share of cost, like a Bloody Mary or a juice-heavy tiki drink. For a neat pour or simple highball, mixer cost is negligible and can be left near zero."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/keg-yield-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wine-markup-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/bar-inventory-variance"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Pour Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pour-cost-calculator)"
}