Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Pour cost %
15.2%
Total cost per drink
$1.82
Pours per bottle
16.9
Gross margin per drink
$10.18
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How to use this
- 1Enter bottle cost ($).
- 2Enter bottle size (ml).
- 3Enter pour size (oz).
- 4Enter mixer / garnish cost ($).
- 5Enter drink price ($).
- 6Read your pour cost % on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Bottle cost: 24 $
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- Pour size: 1.5 oz
- Mixer / garnish cost: 0.4 $
- Drink price: 12 $
Results
- Pour cost %: 15.2%
- Total cost per drink: $1.82
- Pours per bottle: 16.9
- Gross margin per drink: $10.18
What each field means
Inputs
- Bottle cost ($)
- The bottle cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 24 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Bottle size (ml)
- The bottle size used in the calculation, measured in ml. Starts at 750 ml so you have a working example on load.
- Pour size (oz)
- The pour size used in the calculation, measured in oz. Starts at 1.5 oz so you have a working example on load.
- Mixer / garnish cost ($)
- The mixer / garnish cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0.4 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Drink price ($)
- The drink price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 12 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Pour cost %
- Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost per drink
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Pours per bottle
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross margin per drink
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What is a good pour cost target?
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.
Why does bottle size matter so much?
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.
How do I account for over-pouring?
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.
Should I include garnish and mixer cost every time?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Pour Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pour-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pour-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pour Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Pour Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pour-cost-calculator) (2026).