Beltramo's Party Guide
(also see Beltramo’s Party Guide Worksheet and Beltramo’s Party Check List)
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What type of party are you planning? This planning guide will get you started, but you are to make changes as your party dictates. Considerations: Actual number of guests attending? Age of guests? Number under 21 years of age? Weather? Budget (Quality level: moderate, average, high)? Known preferences of guests? Length of party? Dinner wine? After dinner drinks? Coffee? Theme of party?
THIS GUIDE IS FOR A 1 TO 2 HOUR COCKTAIL PARTY based on 50% wine drinkers, 20% spirit drinkers, 15% beer drinkers and 15% non-alcoholic drinkers (excluding children). The following amounts recommended below are normally generous. If your party is short (say 1 hour), a shorter predinner party, or an open house, you will need considerably less - 25% to 50% less.
WINE: Provide wine for 50% of your guests. You will need about one 750-ml bottle of wine for every two of these "wine drinkers." A ratio of two reds 40% to three whites 60% is typical. Remember wine for dinner is in addition to these suggested quantities.
SPIRITS: Provide liquor for 20% of your guests. One 750 ml for every three "liquor drinkers" allows for the different drink choices your guests may make. The standard bar uses the following liquors in these ratios: Vodka (4), Scotch (3), Bourbon (2), and Gin (2). Adjust for total quantity and type based on known preferences of your guests. Canadian whiskey, rum and tequila are optional liquors. If the party will continue after dinner, brandy or cordials are a nice touch.
MIXERS: Provide two 1-liter bottles of "mixers" for every one liter of spirits - a guide: 20% soda, 20% tonic, 20% soft drinks, 20% diet soft drinks, and 20% orange juice. There are many other optional mixers -see our PARTY WORKSHEET. Warmer weather favors tonic, orange juice, and grapefruit juice. Tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix should be provided for prenoon parties.
MINERAL WATERS & SOFT DRINKS: Provide a minimum of three 10-ounce bottles or a one liter bottle of mineral water (2/3 plain sparkling, 1/3 plain still) for each person (and/or three 12 ounce cans of soft drinks) for 15% of the guests attending who are light and non-alcoholic drinkers. Add 2 to 3 cans of soft drinks or juice for each child.
BEER: Provide three 12-ounce cans or bottles of beer for each person for 15% of the guests attending. Include light beer and the now popular micro-brews. Non-alcoholic beer should be considered.
ICE GUIDE: For cocktails provide 1 pound per person; one 7 lb. bag for every seven guests; one 40 lb. bag for every forty guests. Be sure to provide extra ice in hot weather. Additional ice is needed for chilling or keeping wine, beer, or other items cold - one 40 lb. bag per tub.
BARTENDERS: We recommend one bartender for every 50 to 100 guests. Additional personnel required if drinks and/or hors d'oeuvres must be served or if blender or exotic drinks will be featured.
GLASSWARE: Standard glassware is the 8-ounce All Purpose Wine, the 11-ounce High Ball, and the 9-ounce Old Fashion. Figure on a total of one-third more glasses than guests. Approximately 60% Wine, 30% High Ball, 10% Old Fashion glasses and champagne glasses as needed. Beltramo's has a limited amount of rental glassware available for our Party purchasing beverages customers. Have extra plastic glasses as backup. Plastic "glasses" are acceptable and often a more appropriate alternative for parties around the pool for instance.
When plastic is used provide almost twice as many glasses as guests. Large size beer cups are a must for keg beer.
DINNER PARTY GUIDE: For a dinner provide one 750-ml bottle of wine for every two guests - this is three 4-ounce servings per person. There are six 4 ounce servings in a 750 ml bottle. Slightly less wine is needed if dinner follows a cocktail party. More wine will be needed if the dinner is very long (2-3 hours) and several wines are being served. Feel free to serve several different wines with a meal. We will gladly help you choose wine to complement each course including dessert.
WEDDING RECEPTIONS (2 1/2 hours): Most wedding receptions offer wine and champagne and normally more wine than champagne is consumed. For 70% of the guests, provide 1 bottle of wine and one bottle of champagne for every three guests. Provide beer for 15% of the guests and mineral water and soft drinks for 15% of the guests - see our mineral water/soft drink and beer guides for quantities. However, if you are serving Champagne only, provide one bottle for every two drinking guests. Remember wine for dinner is in addition to these suggested quantities. Champagne for a toast only: provide one bottle for every five guests. If spirits and punch are going to be provided, see spirits and punch sections on this sheet. Please read "COMBINATION PARTIES" and adjust to the type of wedding you are giving.
PUNCH GUIDE: Provide 16 ounces of punch per "punch drinking" person - this is four 4-ounce servings. One gallon makes approximately 32 servings.
BEER PARTY (2 1/2 hours): A quarter keg is 7-3/4: gallons or 82 12-ounce servings (or 3 1/2 cases of beer) - enough to serve 28 guests three 12-ounce servings each. Also seriously consider serving cans or bottles over kegs; bottled beer is more attractive, there is much less waste, it is faster serving, and there are no malfunctions in tapping equipment.
WINE TASTING PARTY: Wine tasting parties can vary from the very casual "bring your favorite white wine", to the more formal "sit down" tasting of a well-defined selection. It's a good idea to limit the number of wines somewhat; eight different wines are usually sufficient. Plan 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of each selection per person. At Beltramo's the possibilities for wine tastings are almost limitless. Our wine consultants will be happy to help you with ideas and selections for any type of tasting you are having.
COMBINATION PARTIES: If you are serving several different types of beverages at a party, estimate what proportion of your guests will drink each type of beverages and order each beverage accordingly.
BRUNCH, LUNCHEON, TAILGATE SUGGESTIONS: White Wine, Kir, Champagne, Champagne Punch, Champagne Cocktails, Ramos Fizz, Margaritas, Daiquiris, Cosmopolitans, Mimosas, and Bloody Marys.
BELTRAMO’S STAFF CAN ALWAYS FIND YOU THE HIGHEST QUALITY BEVERAGES FOR THE PRICE TO FIT YOUR BUDGET. CALL (650) 325-2806 | 
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