Cocktail Cost Calculator

Cocktail cost is the total ingredient cost of a single drink — every spirit, mixer, juice, syrup, bitters, and garnish that goes into the glass. It does not include labor, glassware, or overhead. To find your pour cost percentage, divide the cocktail cost by the menu price: Pour Cost % = (Cocktail Cost ÷ Menu Price) × 100.

Example: a Margarita with $1.50 tequila, $0.40 lime juice, $0.25 triple sec, and $0.15 garnish = $2.30 cocktail cost. Sold at $13, that's a 17.7% pour cost. Use our pour cost calculator for quick single-spirit math, or this calculator for full multi-ingredient recipes.

It varies by drink type:

Well/rail cocktails: 14-18% — high volume, lower-cost spirits.
Classic cocktails (Negroni, Old Fashioned): 18-22% — spirit-forward, moderate cost.
Craft cocktails with fresh juice: 20-26% — premium ingredients and more prep time.
Premium spirit cocktails: 22-28% — top-shelf liquor raises the floor.

Most bars aim for 18-24% blended pour cost across the full cocktail menu. If your craft cocktails run 26%, balance them with highballs and spritz drinks at 12-15%. The menu average is what matters. For a deeper breakdown, see our beverage cost calculator.

A 750 mL bottle holds 25.4 oz. The number of cocktails depends on the spirit pour in your recipe:

1 oz pour (modifiers, liqueurs): ~25 drinks
1.5 oz pour (standard base spirit): ~16 drinks
2 oz pour (spirit-forward cocktails like Old Fashioneds): ~12 drinks

Real-world yield is 5-8% less due to spillage, testing, and residual liquid in the bottle. For a 1-liter bottle (33.8 oz), you get roughly 22 standard pours. For a handle (1.75L / 59.2 oz), about 39. Factor these yields into your costing — using the theoretical maximum will make your pour cost look better than it actually is.

Yes — garnishes are one of the most commonly overlooked costs. Per-unit costs seem small but compound fast across a busy bar:

• Lime wedge: $0.08-$0.12
• Lemon twist: $0.05-$0.10
• Maraschino cherry (Luxardo): $0.25-$0.40
• Dehydrated citrus wheel: $0.15-$0.30
• Fresh herb sprig (rosemary, mint): $0.10-$0.20
• Edible flower: $0.30-$0.60

A bar doing 200 cocktails/night with an average garnish cost of $0.15 spends over $900/month on garnishes alone. Skipping these in your costing hides real money. This calculator includes a garnish line item for each ingredient so nothing gets missed.

Figure out how many ounces of juice you get per piece of fruit, then divide the fruit cost by the yield:

Lime: 0.75-1 oz juice per fruit ($0.25-$0.35 each) = $0.30-$0.45/oz
Lemon: 1.5-2 oz per fruit ($0.40-$0.60 each) = $0.25-$0.35/oz
Orange: 3-4 oz per fruit ($0.50-$0.80 each) = $0.15-$0.25/oz
Grapefruit: 4-6 oz per fruit ($0.80-$1.20 each) = $0.15-$0.25/oz

Batch-juicing reduces waste and gives more consistent cost per ounce. Fresh juice lasts 24-48 hours refrigerated, so batch daily based on projected volume. Some bars use super juice (acid-adjusted juice from peels) to stretch one lime into the equivalent of 8 — a significant cost saver at scale.

Start with your cocktail cost from this calculator, then divide by your target pour cost percentage: Menu Price = Cocktail Cost ÷ Target Pour Cost %.

Example: a cocktail costs $2.80 and you target 20% pour cost. $2.80 ÷ 0.20 = $14.00 menu price.

Then sanity-check against your market. Most cocktail bars charge:
Well cocktails: $8-$12
Classic cocktails: $12-$16
Craft/signature cocktails: $14-$20
Premium spirit cocktails: $16-$24

If your calculated price exceeds what your market will bear, reformulate the recipe with lower-cost ingredients rather than accepting a bad pour cost. Use our menu pricing calculator for food items on the same menu.

The pour cost calculator costs a single bottle and a single pour — enter the bottle price, bottle size, and pour size to see cost per drink. It's fast for costing well drinks and simple pours.

This cocktail calculator lets you build a full recipe with multiple spirits, mixers, juices, syrups, and garnishes to see the total drink cost. Use the pour cost calculator for quick bottle-level math. Use this one for multi-ingredient cocktail recipes where total cost isn't obvious from a single bottle price.

The most profitable cocktails minimize spirit cost while maximizing perceived value:

• Highballs (spirit + soda/tonic): 10-15% pour cost. Low spirit volume, cheap mixer.
• Spritz drinks (Aperol Spritz, Hugo): 12-16% pour cost. Prosecco and liqueurs stretch far.
• Frozen/blended drinks: 14-18% pour cost. Ice and mixer dilute spirit cost; customers pay premium prices.
• House punch/batched cocktails: 15-20% pour cost. Batching reduces waste and labor.

The most expensive: spirit-forward classics with premium liquor (Negroni with top-shelf gin, Old Fashioned with allocated bourbon). These can run 25-30%+ pour cost but signal quality on your menu. Balance your menu so overall margins stay healthy — aim for at least 3 high-margin drinks for every premium pour.