How Much Beer Do You Need for a Wedding or Event? UK Beer Calculator (Cask & Keg Guide)

Planning your wedding or big celebration? You’ve probably already worked out the guest list, the food, and the playlist… but what about the beer?

If you’re trying to figure out how much beer to order for your wedding or private event — or whether to order cask, keg, or something else — our guide will help you calculate exactly what you’ll need, how to serve it, and how to choose the right style of beer for your celebration.

How to Calculate Beer for a Wedding or Event

How to calculate the number of pints, casks, and kegs of beer you’ll need for your event.

Step 1: Estimate how many drinks you’ll need in Total

First, here’s a quick rule of thumb:

You’ll need around 1–2 drinks per guest, per hour. For this guide, we’ll set our DPH (drinks per hour) at 1.5

For example, if you’re expecting 100 guests, and your event will last over 4 hours, you’d estimate:

100 guests × 4 hours = 400

Then multiply this by “Drinks per Hour” or DPH, which we’ve estimated at 1.5

100 guests x 4 hours x 1.5 DPH

The result is 600 drinks total based on our example.

Step 2: Figure our your drinks ratios

This will largely depend on whether you want to run a mixed bar at your event, what you’d like to serve, and which drinks your crowd are likely to prefer. A common split for a traditional weddings are as follows:

Beer: ~40% of total drinks
Wine / Prosecco / Champagne: ~40%
Spirits & Mixers / Softs: ~20%

Step 3: Calculate how much beer you’ll need

A “beer” usually counts as a pint. So your beer total = number of pints needed.

For this, use the following formula:

Total Pints Needed = Total Drinks × Beer Percentage

So, for example: 600 total drinks × 0.4 = 240 pints.

As mentioned before, this largely depends on your crowd, and the season — some people prefer a single pint, others keep the bar busy all night, and during the hotter months, beer is even more popular. Still, the above rule of thumb gives you a good starting point.

Now, let’s turn this rule into something practical.

Step 4: Convert pints into Kegs or Casks

Now that we know how many pints you’ll need, you can figure out how many kegs or casks to order.

Most cask beers are sold in firkins, which contain 72 pints.
When it comes to Kegs, you can get 30L kegs (52 pints) or larger 50L kegs (88 pints). Here at Fonthill Brewing Co, we sell 30L kegs.
If you’re still not sure about keg sizes, check out this super useful keg size guide.

Finally, to figure out how much beer you need, just use one of the following formulas:

Casks needed = total pints ÷ 72
Kegs needed = total pints ÷ 52

Tip: Always round up. It’s better to have a pint left over than run out halfway through your first dance.

For example, 240 pints ÷ 52 = 5 (30L) kegs.

Step 5: Adjust to suit your needs

The final step is to adjust your calculations to suit your crowd and your event.

For example, if your crowd are heavy drinkers, adjust your DPH to 2 (where we’ve used 1.5).

For summer and outdoor events, bump beer proportion to 50% (beer tends to be drunk more).

For Evening-only parties where people prefer cocktails or wine, reduce beer proportion to 30–35%.

Finally, if children or many non-drinkers plan to attend, reduce overall alcohol per guest.

Example Beer Calculator Table

Cask vs Keg: Which Is Right for Your Event?

Here’s where it gets interesting. At Fonthill Brewing Co., we offer both cask and keg beer — the same beer you’ll find served fresh at The George, The Sussex Arms, and The Philanthropist Taproom in Tunbridge Wells.

But which is right for you?

Cask Beer for Weddings and Events: Quick Overview

Cask ale is the classic British pub experience. It’s fresh, naturally carbonated, and full of flavour.

DISPENSING

• Gravity-fed. To pour from casks, just rest the cask on a sturdy table or stillage and go. You need a tap, simple stillage and a shive which we can supply for free.

BEST FOR

• Smaller weddings, rustic venues, outdoor receptions, and relaxed gatherings.

SHELF LIFE

• Once tapped, it’s best consumed within 2–3 days.

WHY IT’S GREAT

• It’s traditional, unfiltered, and beautifully smooth, the perfect pour for country weddings and barn celebrations.

Ordering Keg Beer for Parties: Quick Overview

Keg beer is chilled, fizzy, and consistent. It’s ideal for larger events and outdoor setups.

DISPENSING

• Requires equipment (gas, coupler, and beer lines, or lindr machine) to pour properly.

BEST FOR

• Larger or more formal venues, where a steady flow of cold beer is what’s needed.

SHELF LIFE

• Lasts longer once opened (up to several weeks if kept cool).

WHY IT’S GREAT

• It’s crisp, cold, and perfect for modern tastes or warm, spring and summer weddings.

Still unsure about the differences?

Learn more about the different styles of beer in this complete guide on keg vs cask beer.

What You’ll Need If You’re Ordering a Keg

If you’re planning on ordering keg beer, you’ll also need to hire some dispensing equipment. Note, some wedding venues and function rooms with permanent bars already have keg dispense systems installed, while others do not; always check with your venue.

If they do not, you can hire a lindr machine — a simple, all-in-one set up for pouring kegged beer — from a third party online.

Questions to ask your party venue:

• Do you have draft beer / keg tap equipment?
  Ask if there are draught beer taps, beer lines, a cooler or cellar, etc.
• Is there a compatible cooling / refrigeration system? 
  Kegs need good cooling and often co‑2 or gas lines, depending on what you want to serve.
• Can we bring our own keg & beer?
  Some venues allow it, but might charge “corkage” or a fee per drink or keg. Sometimes only certain beers, brands or suppliers are allowed.

Keg Dispensing Setup

If you’re starting from scratch, here’s what’s typically required for a standard keg dispensing setup:

• Keg coupler / connector (to attach the lines to the keg)
• CO₂ gas cylinder (to keep the beer fresh and pressurised)
• Beer lines and taps (for pouring)
• A chiller or cooler (to serve it cold if your venue isn’t refrigerated)

Don’t let this put you off! It’s straightforward, and we’re happy to help you find the right system.

Drop us an email or a message, and we’ll point you in the right direction to hire companies we trust. 

Note: Kegs need a bit more setup, but they’re unbeatable for taste, freshness, and keeping beer flowing all night.

Why Choose Keg or Cask Beer Over Bottles and Cans?

When it comes to weddings and big celebrations, draught beer (whether cask or keg) beats bottles and cans every time, and in so many ways:

Better Taste

Fresh beer always wins. It hasn’t been pasteurised or stored for months the way bottles or cans have; you’re tasting it the way we (the brewery) intended.

Kinder to The Environment

Casks and kegs are refilled and reused, drastically reducing packaging waste.  

Choosing draught beer means fewer bottles, cans, and cardboard boxes heading for the bin. It’s a simple way to make your wedding or event more eco-friendly.

Better Value

You’ll get more pints per pound when buying beer in bulk by the cask or keg compared to individual bottles.

And fewer empties means less tidying up the morning after!

Adds Atmosphere

There’s just something about a real tap setup and a freshly poured pint that makes a bar feel like a proper bar. Your guests will simply love it.

Example Wedding Beer Plan

Here’s an example for a medium-sized wedding with 100 guests:

For beer-only events, lean toward the higher end of your estimate — especially if your guests appreciate beer as much as we do!

How to Keep Your Beer Perfect on the Day

Whether you go for cask or keg, a few small details make a big difference:

• 1. Keep it cool. Beer is best served at cellar temperature (10–13°C for cask, 4–6°C for keg).
• 2. Let it settle. If you’re using cask ale, give it at least 24 hours to settle after delivery.
• 3. Plan the pour. Make sure your bar area is stable, level, and somewhere guests can gather.

Where to Buy BULK BEER for Your Wedding or Event

You can order beer directly from Fonthill Brewing Co. in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

We supply both Fresh cask ales (ready to serve with minimal setup) and bright, crisp keg beers (for bar setups and tap systems). You can even mix and match cask and keg to offer your guests a choice.

Still Not Sure How Much to Order?

Every event is different, we get it!  

If you’re not sure how much to order, what equipment you’ll need, or which style of beer will fit your crowd best, we’re happy to help.

Get in touch, tell us your plans, and we’ll help you sort the perfect order for your day.

FAQ

Final Pour: A Proper Pint for a Proper Celebration

Ordering beer for a wedding or event doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you go for classic cask or crisp, cold keg, the key is choosing something fresh, local, and full of flavour.

At Fonthill Brewing Co., we brew every batch of beer by hand using quality ingredients, (including local Kentish hops,) and a whole lot of care — the same beer you’ll find poured in some of the best pubs in Tunbridge Wells.

If you want your event to have that unmistakable fresh-from-the-brewery taste, get in touch and let’s talk beer.

Still not sure what to choose? 

Come taste our beers fresh from the source at The Philanthropist, our taproom in Tunbridge Wells. Try a few pints, find your favourites, and we’ll help you plan the perfect beer list for your big day.