How does the calculator work?

A little planning goes a long way, especially when there's wine involved.

Tell us how many guests are coming, how long the party's going for and how many won't be drinking alcohol. Then choose what's on the drinks menu: wine, beer, cocktails or a little bit of everything.

We work on roughly five glasses per bottle of wine, allowing for a slightly more enthusiastic first hour before things settle into a rhythm. If beer's on the menu, we account for guests who might start with a beer before moving onto wine. Cocktails are treated as a welcome drink or two, rather than an all-night affair. From there, we'll work out your suggested shopping list, allow a little breathing room and, if you're serving wine, split the bottles between your chosen styles.

And yes, we'll happily make room for bubbles. Because bubbles, always.