Pour Cost Calculator
Find out what every drink really costs you and what to charge for it. Enter your bottle price, bottle size and pour, and this pour cost calculator works out your cost per ounce, total drink cost and a menu price that hits your target pour cost.
Your drink
Use your real invoice prices. Everything updates as you type.
How to use the pour cost calculator
- Enter your bottle price and size. Use what you actually pay per bottle from your distributor invoice. The calculator converts it to a cost per ounce (a 750 ml bottle holds about 25.4 oz, since 1 US fluid ounce is about 29.57 ml).
- Enter your pour. Use the amount your recipe or jigger calls for. Add up to three spirits or liqueurs for a cocktail.
- Add mixers, garnish and ice. A rough per-drink number is fine. Enter 0 for a straight pour.
- Set your target pour cost. Pour cost is the cost of a drink’s ingredients divided by its sale price. Lower means more profit per drink.
- Read your suggested price. The calculator divides your drink cost by your target, then rounds up to the nearest $0.50. Enter your current menu price to see the pour cost you’re running today.
Worked example: a $24 bottle (750 ml) costs about $0.95 per ounce. A 2 oz pour is about $1.89, plus $0.50 for mixers and garnish is $2.39. At a 20% target, that’s about $11.96, so the calculator suggests $12.00.
Working out your whole bar’s numbers? See how much it costs to open a bar and our step-by-step guide on how to open a small bar.
Where these numbers come from
- Pour cost formula and the 15% median for spirits: BevSpot, What’s the Average Pour Cost in the Bar Industry? defines pour cost as the cost of a drink’s ingredients divided by its sale price. Its customer data shows typical total pour costs of around 18% to 24%, with medians of 15% for spirits, 24% for beer and 28% for wine.
- 18% to 22% benchmark for liquor and cocktails: Backbar’s industry benchmarks list liquor and cocktails at 18% to 22%, draft beer at 20% to 25% and wine by the glass at 30% to 40%, and note these are guidelines.
- Taking inventory for your actual pour cost: Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s pour cost guide explains the bar-wide version: starting inventory plus purchases minus ending inventory, divided by sales.
- Ounces per bottle: 1 US fluid ounce is about 29.57 ml (conversion reference), so 750 ml is about 25.4 oz, 1 liter about 33.8 oz and 1.75 liter about 59.2 oz.
The example bottle price and pour are placeholders. Use your own invoice prices and recipes.
Pour cost FAQ
Pour cost is the cost of a drink’s ingredients divided by its sale price, shown as a percentage. If a cocktail costs you $2.40 to make and sells for $12, its pour cost is 20%.
Backbar’s benchmark for liquor and cocktails is 18% to 22%. BevSpot’s customer data puts the median spirits pour cost at 15% and typical total bar pour costs at around 18% to 24%. Your target depends on your concept, prices and market.
Add up the cost of each ingredient (bottle price divided by ounces in the bottle, times your pour), add mixers and garnish, then divide by the menu price. The calculator above does this for up to three spirits plus mixers.
Divide your total drink cost by your target pour cost. A $2.40 drink at a 20% target is $2.40 divided by 0.20, which is $12. Round to a clean menu price.
About 25.4 US fluid ounces, since 1 fluid ounce is about 29.57 ml. A 1 liter bottle holds about 33.8 oz.
Turn your drink math into a bar plan.
Not ready to buy? Grab the free Bar Starter Kit below (it includes a pour cost cheat sheet), or read how much it costs to open a bar.
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An opening roadmap, a startup budget worksheet and a pour cost cheat sheet. Free, instant download.
