How to cost drinks: pour cost for spirits, wine and beer
· 7 min read
Drinks are often the most profitable part of a menu, but only if they are costed and poured properly. Pour cost is the bar's version of food cost: the cost of what goes in the glass as a share of the price.
The formula
Pour cost % = cost of everything in the drink ÷ selling price × 100. The trick is getting the cost of one serve right, which starts with cost per millilitre (or per ounce).
Spirits and cocktails
Divide the bottle price by its volume to get cost per ml, then multiply by your pour. Add everything else in the glass: mixers, juice, syrup, garnish and ice.
| Ingredient | Bought at | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gin | $28.00 per 700 ml | 50 ml | $2.00 |
| Tonic | $0.60 per 200 ml bottle | 1 bottle | $0.60 |
| Lime | wedge | $0.10 | |
| Ice | glass | $0.05 | |
| Total | $2.75 |
At $11.00 the pour cost is 2.75 ÷ 11.00 = 25.0%, and each serve contributes $8.25.
Wine by the glass: pour size changes everything
Work out how many glasses a bottle gives you, then divide the bottle cost:
| Pour | Glasses per bottle | Cost per glass | Pour cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 ml | 6 | $2.50 | 25.0% |
| 150 ml | 5 | $3.00 | 30.0% |
| 175 ml | 4.3 | $3.50 | 35.0% |
The same bottle at the same price earns very different amounts depending on the pour. If you offer two sizes, price each one from its own cost. And watch for over-pouring: a generous 175 ml when your price assumed 150 ml quietly costs you 17% more wine per glass.
Beer
- Bottles and cans are simple: a bottle that costs $1.40 and sells for $6.00 has a pour cost of 23.3%.
- Draught is harder, because some beer is lost to foam, line cleaning and the end of the keg. Measure how many saleable pints or glasses you really get from a keg, and cost from that, not the theoretical number.
What is a normal pour cost?
Spirits usually have the lowest pour costs, beer sits in the middle and wine is often the highest, because guests can easily compare wine prices with what they would pay in a shop. Rather than chase an industry figure, set a target for each category and price every drink against it. Then check the contribution per serve: a premium spirit with a higher pour cost can still earn more cash than a house pour.
Stop margins leaking at the bar
- Use jiggers or measured pourers. Free pouring nearly always runs over.
- Write a spec for every cocktail: exact quantities, glass and garnish, so every bartender makes it the same way.
- Count stock weekly and compare what you used with what you sold. A gap means over-pouring, waste, unrecorded comps or worse.
- Re-cost when supplier prices change, especially for your best sellers.
- Put your highest-margin drinks where guests see them first on the menu.