How many cans of soda for 100 guests?
For a four-hour party for 100 guests, plan about 200 cans of soda — 17 packs of 12 — out of 500 drinks in all, with 200 bottles of water and 100 servings of punch, tea or juice.
How to work it out
- Per guest: 2 in the first hour + 1 × 3 more hours = 5
- 100 guests × 5 = 500 drinks: 200 bottles water, 200 cans soda, 100 servings other
A hundred guests over an afternoon or evening — a graduation, a reunion, a wedding without a full bar — will drink about five drinks each. Soda is usually about two of them.
Adjust for your project
More options: First hour · After · Water …
- Cans or bottles of soda
- 200 cans
- Packs of soda
- 17 packs
- Bottles of water
- 200 bottles
- Cases of water
- 9 cases
- Other drinks (servings of juice, tea, punch)
- 100 servings
- Drinks per guest
- 5
- Cups if drinks are poured (2 per guest + refills)
- 225 cups
- Serving alcohol too? Use the wine, beer and keg and liquor calculators, and keep plenty of water and soft drinks out for everyone.
Drinks by party length (guests and split as above)
| Hours | Drinks in total | Cans or bottles of soda | Bottles of water |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 drinks | 80 cans | 80 bottles |
| 2 | 300 drinks | 120 cans | 120 bottles |
| 3 | 400 drinks | 160 cans | 160 bottles |
| 4 | 500 drinks | 200 cans | 200 bottles |
| 5 | 600 drinks | 240 cans | 240 bottles |
| 6 | 700 drinks | 280 cans | 280 bottles |
From 500 drinks to 200 cans
At two drinks in the first hour and one each hour after, a four-hour party works out to five drinks per guest: 500 for a hundred people. Split 40% water, 40% soda and 20% something poured (lemonade, iced tea or punch), that is 200 cans of soda, 200 bottles of water and 100 cups of the rest. Buy a mix of regular, diet and caffeine-free; unopened cans keep for the next party, so rounding up costs little.
| Party for 100 | Drinks | Soda (40%) | Water (40%) | Other (20%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 hours, mild | 400 | 160 | 160 | 80 |
| 4 hours, mild | 500 | 200 | 200 | 100 |
| 4 hours, hot outdoors | 750 | 300 | 300 | 150 |
| 6 hours, mild | 700 | 280 | 280 | 140 |
Keeping 400 cans and bottles cold
Cans and bottles chill in ice far faster than in a fridge, and a hundred guests will empty a household fridge in an hour anyway. Reddy Ice recommends 1 to 2 lb of ice per guest; for 100 guests in mild weather that is 100 to 200 lb, the top of the range on a hot day. Put drinks in tubs or coolers in two or three places so lines do not form, and keep a separate cooler of ice for cups — see the ice calculator.
If there is a bar as well, keep this soft-drink count as it is: people drink water and soda alongside alcohol. Plates and napkins for the same crowd are in how many napkins for 100 guests; the poured share is in how much punch for 50 people, doubled.
Different size? Use the full Party Drinks Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Galvanized beverage tubBudget price
An open tub of ice and cans by the door keeps guests out of the kitchen. Layer ice, cans, ice.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Large coolerPremium price
A big cooler for drinks and ice. A drain plug matters when you are melting 40 lb of ice over an afternoon.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Plastic party cups (16 oz)Budget price
Guests lose track of their cup, so plan two or three per person. A marker by the stack helps.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
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Frequently asked questions
How many water bottles for 100 guests?
About 200 bottles for a four-hour party — 9 cases of 24.
How many cans of soda for 50 guests?
About 100 cans — 9 packs of 12 — for a four-hour party.
How many cans of soda for 150 guests?
About 300 cans — 25 packs of 12.
Sources
- Iowa State University Extension (AnswerLine) — Graduation party tips (opens in a new tab) — Per person: sandwich meat 3–4 oz, sliders 1.5–2 oz, burgers 4–6 oz, sides 4–6 oz; 1 to 1.5 lb of food per guest; soda 2 cans and water 2 bottles per hour; punch 6 oz.
- Reddy Ice — How much ice you need for a party (opens in a new tab) — One to two pounds of ice per person attending; more for outdoor and pool parties.