Alcohol & Bar Setup
Logistics
Alcohol & Bar Setup
Highlights
You can supply your own alcohol at Rixey—big savings and full control of brands.
Planning baseline: ~1 drink per person per hour (better to overbuy; unopened wine/spirits are often returnable—check your retailer).
Three service levels: Beer & Wine Only; Beer, Wine & 2 Signature Cocktails (batched); Modified Full Bar (core liquors).
Detailed quantities for ~100 guests included below (wine by the case, beer by sixtel/quarter kegs or by the case, liquor by handle).
We have a dedicated Bar Room, and standard bar tools.
Avoid half kegs—unsafe/heavy on the Manor staircase; use ¼ and ⅙ kegs only.
Send us your draft shopping list a few days before you buy—we’ll sanity-check quantities.
We have limited storage so we require all beer is served on tap, and limited storage for canned seltzer etc.
Overall Consumption Guideline
A safe rule of thumb is 1 drink per person per hour. Example: 8 hours × 100 guests ≈ 800 drinks across beer, wine, and cocktails. Some won’t drink; others will have more—it balances out. Overestimate slightly: unopened wine and liquor can often be returned (confirm store policy). Running out at 10pm is a bummer; a couple extra cases are not.
Bar Package Types
1) Beer & Wine Only (often plus bubbly for toasts)
For ~100 guests (whole weekend):
Wine (~8 cases total; 12 bottles/case) Sparkling: ~2 case (toasts/mimosas) White/Rosé: ~4 cases (more in summer) Red: ~2 cases (more in winter) 8 cases is generous and likely more than enough for Fri–Sun; returns cover excess.
Beer Prefer small kegs (stay cold, cost-effective): ~2 sixtels (~5.2 gal each) + 2 quarter-barrels ≈ ~2 full kegs in volume. Crowd >120 or beer-heavy? Add another sixtel or two. No half-barrels—too risky on the stairs. Styles: a light lager/ale + a darker/craft option in the quarters, plus a couple popular sixtels.
Non-Alcoholic Don’t forget sodas and water—see Logistics for amounts. (Even beer/wine bars need NA options and soda for simple mixed requests.)
2) Beer, Wine & Specialty Cocktails (very popular)
Keep beer/wine similar to above (you may trim wine a bit for a cocktail-forward crowd).
Add two pre-batched signature cocktails (His/Hers; seasonal is great). Quantity: plan ≥2 gallons per cocktail (~256 oz = ~30–40 servings depending on pour size). For 100 guests, bartenders mix ~3–4 total gallons across two recipes if your crowd loves cocktails. Batch-friendly picks: spiked lemonade, sangria, mojito punch, margaritas (summer), bourbon-spiced apple cider (fall).
Have the garnishes and specialty mixers for those recipes ready (mint, lime wheels, cinnamon sticks, jalapeños, etc.).
3) Modified Full Bar (beer, wine, and core liquors)
Wine: ~6 cases (slightly less since many will choose mixed drinks); distribute types like above.
Beer: similar to Beer & Wine plan (~4 small kegs or equivalent cans).
Liquor (handles / 1.75L) Vodka 1–2 Gin 1–2 Rum 1–2 Jack Daniel’s 2–3 (very popular) Fireball 1–2 (shot-popular) Optional nicer bourbon 1 Tequila: consider limiting to ~1 handle (shot-heavy; potentially skip to curb straight shots).
Mixers & Accoutrements Sodas: Coke, Diet, Sprite, ginger ale, tonic, club soda Juices: orange, cranberry, pineapple, sour mix Other: grenadine, lime juice, bitters Garnishes: lemons, limes, cherries, olives
Specialty Bars (Optional Upgrades)
Add a focused station to any base (usually needs extra staffing):
Whiskey/Bourbon Tasting Bar (curated labels, neat/rocks)
Rum Bar (pairs with a cigar area)
Champagne/Mimosa/Bellini Bar (fruit purees; great for cocktail hour)
Logistics & Other Supplies
Ice
~60–80 lbs per 100 guests (for chilling and serving). We have an ice freezer—err on the side of more.
Water
≥6 cases of small bottles (8–12 oz reduces waste) = ~144 bottles.
We’ll also set ice-water dispensers; bottles are great for pockets, welcome bags, and late-night hydration.
Sodas (12-packs unless noted)
~4 cases Cola, ~2 cases Diet, ~2 cases lemon-lime, ~2 cases ginger ale, ~2 cases club soda/tonic (gin drinkers want tonic; club is universal).
Specialty mixers if your menu uses them: ginger beer (Mules), Red Bull (if requested)—~24 cans each.
Juices & Mix Ingredients
Orange juice 3–4 gal, cranberry ~2 gal, pineapple ~1 gal, sour mix ~1 gal.
Simple syrup and lime juice for common builds.
Garnishes & Condiments
2 bags lemons/limes (we’ll cut).
Mint, jalapeños (spicy margs), olives, maraschino cherries.
Margarita salt, optional colored sugar rims, Tabasco for Bloody Mary lovers.
Barware & Drinkware
We provide standard bar tools (shakers, strainers, wine keys, dispensers).
We provide sturdy disposables (plan counts for wine, beer, cocktails, water, and champagne flutes), napkins, straws.
Coordinate delivery/pickup if renting.
Leftover Plan
Unopened wine/liquor are often returnable; beer usually isn’t.
Soda may not be returnable, but we are happy to hold on to extras.
We can store leftovers short-term if you’re traveling Sunday—please coordinate.
No ½ Kegs
Reiterating: no half-barrels—unsafe on the historic stair to the bar. Stick to ¼ and ⅙.
Bar Setup at Rixey
Primary service is in our dedicated Bar Room; cocktail hour often flows onto the adjacent patio (or remains indoors if preferred).
We can stage a satellite bar on the front lawn for cocktail hour or arrivals.
We’ll finalize layouts, menus, and staffing at the Final Walkthrough based on your timeline and spaces.
Check with Us Before Buying
A few days before your big store run, send us your draft list. We’ll adjust quantities based on what we have in stock. With a well-planned bar, service is fast and festive—and everyone stays safe (please pair bars with shuttles/transport planning).
Cheers to a great celebration! 🥂