Estimate your total open bar cost in 30 seconds. Adjust guests, hours, tier and bartender service — we show the full number including alcohol, mixers, ice and the bartender crew. Built by a California mobile bar team.
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Bartender package covers staff, bar setup, mixers, ice, glassware and breakdown. You still supply the alcohol at retail.
Mixers & ice estimated at $2.50 per drinker-hour when you handle it yourself; included in bartender package when selected. Low/high range is ±15% to cover tier variance within each band.
Four variables, in order of impact. The calculator above handles all four.
Tier. Premium runs 2-3x standard spirits cost per guest, because the shelf changes: Grey Goose, Casamigos, Hendrick's, Macallan instead of Tito's, Espolon, Beefeater, Johnnie Walker Red. For most Los Angeles weddings, standard tier is indistinguishable from premium by hour three. Save the shelf upgrade for the signature cocktail only.
Duration. A 5-hour reception runs 35% more alcohol than a 4-hour one, not 25%. The last hour doesn't taper as much as planners assume — late-night snack service tends to extend bar traffic.
Guest count. Linear impact. Doubling the guests roughly doubles the alcohol spend.
Bartender included or not. Mobile bar packages add $795 to $2,795 flat (ours), far less than a caterer's 18-22% service charge on the entire alcohol invoice. On a $4,000 open bar, the caterer's service charge is $720-$880 — just the service charge, before gratuity.
| Tier | Per guest | What's on the shelf | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beer & wine | $12-18 | Craft beer, 2-3 wines, no spirits | Casual, afternoon, outdoor |
| Standard spirits | $25-35 | Tito's, Espolon, Beefeater, Jameson, Johnnie Walker Red, 2-3 wines, 2 beers | Most weddings & corporate |
| Premium spirits | $40-60 | Grey Goose, Casamigos, Hendrick's, Macallan 12, Dom Perignon, 4-5 wines | Luxury, VIP, estate weddings |
These are retail per-guest costs when you buy the alcohol yourself (dry-hire model). A caterer bar package quotes 2.5-4x higher per guest because of the 200-400% markup on alcohol and the mandatory service charge on top. See our LA mobile bar cost breakdown for the full comparison.
Same event, same alcohol, 100 guests, 4 hours, standard tier.
Caterer path. $45/guest open bar × 100 = $4,500. Add 20% mandatory service charge: $900. Add 10% tip (expected): $450. Total: $5,850. You don't own the alcohol, don't keep what's unopened, and the bar closes exactly on the hour.
Mobile bar path. Alcohol at retail (standard tier, 100 guests, 4 hours): $1,500-$2,000. Mobile bar Signature package: $1,495. Total: $2,995-$3,495. You keep unopened bottles (returnable at most CA retailers), the bar closes when you want, and the quote has no mandatory gratuity.
Difference: $2,350-$2,900 saved on the same event. See the four packages at La Barra Co. pricing.
Caterer path. Mandatory gratuity 18-22%. Corkage fee $15-25 per bottle if you want to supply any yourself. Venue bar fee $500-1,500 at hotels and resorts. Those three add $1,000-$2,500 to the base number.
Mobile bar path. If outdoors in summer, add 1-2 bags of ice supplementation ($10-$30). If disposable cups are needed, $25-50 for 300 cups. Everything else is in the package.
Both paths. Budget 10% cushion on alcohol spend for a younger crowd, outdoor summer event, or signature cocktail that pulls heavily on one spirit.
Open bar is almost always cheaper total if you buy the alcohol retail yourself (dry hire). Cash bar is cheaper for the host because guests pay for drinks, but it adds a venue bar fee, a tip jar awkwardness, and a mandatory 18-22% service charge on top of each drink most venues enforce. A $4,500 open bar at retail (dry hire) is roughly the same total as 100 guests buying 4 drinks each at $14-16 at a cash bar.
Yes. Common structure in Los Angeles: open bar for the first 3 hours (cocktail hour through dinner), then limited to beer, wine and signature cocktail only for the dancing hour. Cuts spirits consumption in half when guests are already full, saves roughly 15-20% on alcohol spend without anyone noticing.
No. We are a dry-hire mobile bar service — California law allows the client to buy and provide the alcohol in their own name at retail. We bring the bar, bartenders, glassware, ice, mixers and garnish. You buy the alcohol (we send a precise shopping list) and keep whatever you do not use. That is why dry hire is 30-50% cheaper than caterer bar packages.
Yes. This is called a tiered open bar and we run it often: premium spirits (Grey Goose, Hendrick's, Casamigos) for the cocktail hour, then standard (Tito's, Beefeater, Espolon) once dinner starts. Guests do not notice the swap after they have had one drink, and premium shelf stays within budget.
Four factors, roughly in order of impact: (1) tier — premium runs 2-3x standard spirits cost per guest; (2) duration — a 5-hour reception runs 35% more alcohol than a 4-hour one; (3) guest count — linear impact; (4) whether a bartender is included.
If you book through a caterer: 18-22% mandatory gratuity on alcohol, corkage fees of $15-25 per bottle if you want to supply any yourself, and often a venue bar fee of $500-1,500. If you book direct with a mobile bar: just ice supplementation if the event is outdoors in summer. Our quotes include all three categories upfront.
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