How much does a cocktail bar cost for your event?

How much does a cocktail bar for an event cost?

There are two ways to charge for a bar, and it is the first thing to identify on a quote. Either you pay for the bartender’s time and supply the drinks yourself, or you pay for a number of cocktails, with ingredients, equipment and ice included. The second option is easier to read for a company budget: the amount does not change on the day.

The “bartender only” option looks cheaper, but you have to add the spirits, juices, fruit, ice, glasses and the time spent buying it all. For a works council that has neither the time nor the space to store everything, the all-inclusive pack saves that work and the risk of running out of an ingredient at 10pm.

How many cocktails should you plan per guest?

The right volume depends on the length of the event and what is served alongside. The benchmarks our bartenders use to build a quote:

In a company, some guests do not drink alcohol: drivers, pregnant women, personal choice. A menu with at least one alcohol-free cocktail as carefully crafted as the others is now the norm. Our packs include 3 cocktails of your choice, with or without alcohol, at the same price.

How many bartenders for 50, 100 or 200 guests?

One bartender serves around fifty people without a queue. Beyond that, the wait at the bar becomes the talking point of the evening, which is never a good sign. In practice:

• Up to 50 guests: one bartender, with the 100 Cocktail Pack from €900 or a bartender at €450 if you supply the drinks.
• From 50 to 100 guests: two bartenders and a waiter to clear and restock, as provided in the Premium 100 Cocktail Pack at €1,780, to be topped up if the evening is long.
• Around 150 to 200 guests: a full team and a self-contained bar, with the Premium 300 Cocktail Pack at €3,580, and ideally two service points in the room.

What affects the price of a cocktail bar?

Spirits and the menu

A spritz or a mojito made with standard spirits does not cost the same as a signature cocktail with premium gin. A short menu, with three well-chosen recipes, is quicker to serve and easier to manage than a list of ten cocktails.

Glassware

Reusable cups suit an open-air party. For a gala or a reception, real glass makes all the difference, but it has to be transported, washed and counted. Glassware with washing included costs €199 with us.

The venue

A bar needs a water point nearby, a power socket and easy access for unloading ice. On a beach, a rooftop or a boat in the Bay of Marseille, the logistics take more preparation. Ask the venue whether it requires you to use its own bar or charges corkage: some restaurants available for exclusive hire do not allow outside drinks.

Duration

Our packs cover a standard evening. If the bar has to open at 6pm and close at 1am, the team is there for longer and the quote goes up too. Specify the bar’s opening and closing times, not just those of the evening.

Cocktail bar or caterer’s open bar: which should you choose?

A caterer’s open bar (wine, beer, soft drinks, sometimes champagne) is often included in a cocktail reception package at an exclusively hired venue, costing between €35 and €60 per person in Marseille. A cocktail bar does not necessarily replace it: it complements it. Many companies keep the venue’s open bar for volume and add a cocktail bar as entertainment for the first two or three hours.

Another option for a seminar: the cocktail workshop as team building, at €70 per person, where your teams learn to make three cocktails with a bartender. It often ends in a shared aperitif, which turns an activity into a real team-bonding moment.

To work out canapés and other drinks, see our guide to cocktail reception quantities per person.