Cost any drink from bottle prices, see its pour cost and profit, and get the menu price that hits your target.
Spirits, liqueurs, vermouth, bitters, purchased mixers. Bottle size in ml (750, 1000, 1750), the bottle cost and the pour in ounces.
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It costs a cocktail ingredient by ingredient from bottle prices, adds the fresh juice, syrup, garnish and ice that most costings forget, and gives you the pour cost at your menu price, the price that hits your target and the profit you make on every drink.
Enter each bottled ingredient: the bottle size in ml, what you pay for the bottle and the pour in ounces from your spec. Use the price on your latest invoice, not the list price you remember.
Add the per-drink cost of fresh items. Cost a batch of lime juice or simple syrup once, divide by the ounces it yields, and multiply by the ounces in the drink. Add the garnish and any specialty ice.
Enter the menu price to see the pour cost, or leave it blank and set your target to get a suggested price. Then write the cost on the spec card so it gets checked every quarter.
Cost per ounce equals bottle cost divided by ounces in the bottle (ml divided by 29.57). Ingredient cost equals cost per ounce times the pour. Drink cost is the sum of every ingredient plus juice, syrup, garnish and ice. Pour cost equals drink cost divided by menu price. Suggested price equals drink cost divided by your target pour cost.
Example: a margarita with 2 ounces of a $28 liter of tequila ($1.66), three quarters of an ounce of a $32 bottle of orange liqueur ($0.95) and $0.55 of lime, agave and salt costs $3.15. At a $13 menu price that is a 24.2 percent pour cost and $9.85 of profit a drink. At a 20 percent target the price would be $15.76, so most bars would land at $15 or $16.
| Drink type | Typical pour cost |
|---|---|
| Well and house cocktails | 16 to 20 percent |
| Craft and signature cocktails | 18 to 24 percent |
| Premium spirits and high-proof builds | 20 to 26 percent |
| Draft beer | 20 to 26 percent |
| Wine by the glass | 25 to 35 percent |
Ranges vary by market and concept. The full method, including how to read the variance between what the bar should have used and what it did, is in the pour cost guide.
Jigger every pour. A quarter ounce of over-pour on a 2 ounce base is 12 percent more spirit in every drink.
Cost your house-made syrups and juices. Fresh citrus prices swing with the season; know what an ounce of lime juice costs this month.
Batch the high-volume drinks so the spec is poured the same way every time, and cost the batch once.
Recost the menu every quarter and when a distributor changes a price. The wine by the glass guide uses the same approach for wine.
Work out the cost per ounce of each spirit, liqueur and mixer (bottle cost divided by ounces in the bottle; a 750 ml bottle holds 25.4 ounces and a liter 33.8), multiply by the pour, and add garnish, juice, syrup and ice. A margarita with 2 ounces of a $28 liter of tequila, three quarters of an ounce of a $32 orange liqueur and $0.55 of lime and agave costs about $3.15.
Most bars price cocktails at an 18 to 24 percent pour cost. Well drinks often run 16 to 20 percent and premium or high-proof builds 20 to 26 percent. The bar's overall pour cost blends cocktails with beer and wine, which usually run higher.
Divide the drink cost by your target pour cost. A $3.15 drink at a 22 percent target is $14.32, which rounds to a $14 or $15 menu price. Then check the dollar profit per drink, not just the percent: a higher-cost drink at a slightly higher percent can still earn more per glass.
Yes. Fresh citrus, house syrups, garnish and specialty ice can add $0.40 to $1.00 a drink, which is two to five points of pour cost on a $14 cocktail. Cost a batch of syrup or juice once, divide by the ounces it yields and use that cost per ounce.
At least every quarter and whenever a distributor price changes on a high-volume spirit. A $3 increase on a liter of your well tequila adds about 18 cents to every 2 ounce margarita.
Keep every spec costed in one place with the Cocktail Recipe Cost Card, then check the whole bar each week with the free pour cost calculator.
Check your bar's pour cost Read the pour cost guideRules of thumb only. Results are estimates and not financial advice.
