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
Price to hit target pour cost
$2.04
Cost per pour (incl. spillage)
$0.449
Actual pour cost at current price
6.4%
Underpriced by (vs target)
-$4.96
Raw cost per ounce
$0.0265
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter production cost per barrel ($).
- 2Enter glass size (oz).
- 3Enter foam & spillage loss (%).
- 4Enter target pour cost (%).
- 5Enter current menu price for this pour ($).
- 6Read your price to hit target pour cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Taproom pour cost works differently than bar liquor pour cost because you're comparing self-produced beer cost per barrel against a glass size, not a bottle purchase price against a shot. This calculator takes your production cost per barrel, converts it to cost per ounce, and applies it to your actual glass sizes (pints, tasters, flights) after accounting for foam and spillage loss, which commonly runs 4-8% on draft systems even with well-calibrated lines. It then backs into the price needed to hit a target pour cost percentage. Taprooms usually run a lower target pour cost than bars pouring purchased beer (18-25% vs 20-28%) since there's no wholesale markup baked into the input cost, but many taproom operators still price off what neighboring bars charge instead of their own cost structure.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Production cost per barrel: 105 $
- Glass size: 16 oz
- Foam & spillage loss: 6 %
- Target pour cost: 22 %
- Current menu price for this pour: 7 $
Results
- Price to hit target pour cost: $2.04
- Cost per pour (incl. spillage): $0.449
- Actual pour cost at current price: 6.4%
- Underpriced by (vs target): -$4.96
- Raw cost per ounce: $0.0265
What each field means
Inputs
- Production cost per barrel ($)
- The production cost per barrel used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 105 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Glass size (oz)
- The glass size used in the calculation, measured in oz. Starts at 16 oz so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 2–32 oz.
- Foam & spillage loss (%)
- The foam & spillage loss used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 6 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–25 %.
- Target pour cost (%)
- The target pour cost used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 22 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 5–60 %.
- Current menu price for this pour ($)
- The current menu price for this pour used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 7 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Price to hit target pour cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost per pour (incl. spillage)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Actual pour cost at current price
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Underpriced by (vs target)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Raw cost per ounce
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How much beer is actually in a barrel for pour math?
A US beer barrel is 31 gallons, which is 3,968 fluid ounces. That's the number to divide your per-barrel production cost by to get a raw cost per ounce before accounting for foam and spillage loss on the pour itself.
Why is taproom pour cost target lower than a bar's?
A bar buying kegs from a distributor already has a wholesale markup baked into its keg cost, so its pour cost percentage against a purchased keg price is naturally structured differently. A taproom's 'cost' is closer to true production cost with no distributor markup, so hitting the same dollar profit per pour requires a lower percentage target, typically 18-25% versus 20-28% for a bar.
What causes high spillage percentages?
Poorly balanced draft lines (wrong resistance for the run length), warm beer temperature causing excess foam, inconsistent glassware angle during pour, and heavy carbonation styles like Belgians or ciders all increase foam loss. Recalibrating line balance is usually the single biggest lever, often cutting spillage from 10%+ down to 4-5%.
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). Taproom Pour Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/taproom-pour-cost-glass
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/taproom-pour-cost-glass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taproom Pour Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Taproom Pour Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/taproom-pour-cost-glass) (2026).