Study and careerChampagne
How much Champagne do you need? The event calculator, bottle by bottle
The simple formula sommeliers use to order Champagne for a wedding or a party, a quick table from 50 to 300 guests, worked examples, and how many glasses each bottle size pours.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
4 min read
The short answer: a standard 75 cl bottle of Champagne pours six glasses of 12.5 cl, the serving the Champagne trade body uses. So divide the total number of glasses by six and round up. A toast for 100 guests needs 17 bottles; two glasses each for 100 guests needs 34 bottles, or 17 magnums.
The formula
Guests × glasses per guest × 12.5 cl ÷ 75 cl = bottles. Or, more simply: guests × glasses ÷ 6. Always round up; you can't open part of a bottle in advance.
- Decide the pour first. 12.5 cl is a full flute. If you pour a smaller toast, say 10 cl, a bottle gives seven full glasses with a little left over.
- Count glasses, not guests. A welcome glass, a toast and a refill at dinner is three glasses per guest, even if not everyone drinks all three.
- Add a margin. Spills, a second toast, the guest who arrives late. About 10% extra is an easy cushion to plan with.
Quick table: bottles needed (75 cl, 12.5 cl pours)
| Guests | Toast only (1 glass) | 2 glasses each | 3 glasses each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 9 bottles | 17 bottles | 25 bottles |
| 100 | 17 bottles | 34 bottles | 50 bottles |
| 150 | 25 bottles | 50 bottles | 75 bottles |
| 200 | 34 bottles | 67 bottles | 100 bottles |
| 300 | 50 bottles | 100 bottles | 150 bottles |
- 50
- Toast only (1 glass)9 bottles
- 2 glasses each17 bottles
- 3 glasses each25 bottles
- 100
- Toast only (1 glass)17 bottles
- 2 glasses each34 bottles
- 3 glasses each50 bottles
- 150
- Toast only (1 glass)25 bottles
- 2 glasses each50 bottles
- 3 glasses each75 bottles
- 200
- Toast only (1 glass)34 bottles
- 2 glasses each67 bottles
- 3 glasses each100 bottles
- 300
- Toast only (1 glass)50 bottles
- 2 glasses each100 bottles
- 3 glasses each150 bottles
These are exact counts before the margin. For magnums, halve the number and round up.
Three worked examples
- A banquet: 200 guests, two glasses each. 200 × 2 × 12.5 cl = 50 litres. In bottles: 50 ÷ 0.75 = 66.7, so 67 bottles. In magnums: 50 ÷ 1.5 = 33.3, so 34 magnums.
- A wedding: 150 guests, three glasses each, half in bottles and half in magnums. 150 × 3 × 12.5 cl = 56.25 litres. Half of that, 28.1 litres, in bottles: 37.5, so 38 bottles. The other half in magnums: 18.75, so 19 magnums. Not 75 bottles and 38 magnums, which would be twice the Champagne.
- A gala: 700 guests, three glasses each. 700 × 3 × 12.5 cl = 262.5 litres. That is 350 bottles, or 87.5 jeroboams, so 88 jeroboams. A jeroboam holds 3 litres and pours 24 glasses, but it is heavy: only plan big bottles if your team has practised pouring them.
Bottle sizes and how many glasses they pour
| Name | Volume | Standard bottles | Glasses of 12.5 cl |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter | 20 cl | About ¼ | 1 (and a bit) |
| Half-bottle | 37.5 cl | ½ | 3 |
| Bottle | 75 cl | 1 | 6 |
| Magnum | 1.5 l | 2 | 12 |
| Jeroboam | 3 l | 4 | 24 |
| Rehoboam | 4.5 l | 6 | 36 |
| Methuselah | 6 l | 8 | 48 |
| Salmanazar | 9 l | 12 | 72 |
| Balthazar | 12 l | 16 | 96 |
| Nebuchadnezzar | 15 l | 20 | 120 |
- Quarter
- Volume20 cl
- Standard bottlesAbout ¼
- Glasses of 12.5 cl1 (and a bit)
- Half-bottle
- Volume37.5 cl
- Standard bottles½
- Glasses of 12.5 cl3
- Bottle
- Volume75 cl
- Standard bottles1
- Glasses of 12.5 cl6
- Magnum
- Volume1.5 l
- Standard bottles2
- Glasses of 12.5 cl12
- Jeroboam
- Volume3 l
- Standard bottles4
- Glasses of 12.5 cl24
- Rehoboam
- Volume4.5 l
- Standard bottles6
- Glasses of 12.5 cl36
- Methuselah
- Volume6 l
- Standard bottles8
- Glasses of 12.5 cl48
- Salmanazar
- Volume9 l
- Standard bottles12
- Glasses of 12.5 cl72
- Balthazar
- Volume12 l
- Standard bottles16
- Glasses of 12.5 cl96
- Nebuchadnezzar
- Volume15 l
- Standard bottles20
- Glasses of 12.5 cl120
A sommelier detail: under the Champagne rules, standard bottles and magnums must be sold in the very bottle where their second fermentation happened. Some smaller formats and everything bigger than a magnum may be filled by transfer from other bottles. One more reason to love the magnum.
On the day
- Chill to 8–10°C. The Comité Champagne suggests an ice bucket half filled with water and ice, for 20 to 30 minutes, or several hours in the fridge.
- Open in batches. Open what the next ten minutes need, not the whole order. Unopened bottles keep; opened ones lose their bubbles.
- Pour like a sommelier. Hold the bottle low at the base, thumb in the punt, and pour in two steps: a first splash, let the foam settle, then fill.
- Plan glasses too. One flute or tulip glass per guest for the toast, more if guests keep their glass through dinner.
Calculating volumes for an event is part of the Court of Master Sommeliers' service syllabus at Advanced level, next to profit margins and inventory. For leftover bottles, see my Coravin Sparkling review; for still wine, how many glasses are in a bottle.
Questions people ask
How many glasses of Champagne are in a bottle?
Six glasses of 12.5 cl from a 75 cl bottle. With smaller 10 cl toast pours, seven.
How many bottles of Champagne do I need for a toast for 100 guests?
17 bottles at one 12.5 cl glass each, plus a margin of about 10%.
How many glasses are in a magnum of Champagne?
Twelve glasses of 12.5 cl: a magnum is 1.5 litres, two standard bottles.
Is it better to buy magnums for a party?
They pour twice as much per bottle, fewer corks to pop, and they look generous on the table. Mix them with standard bottles if your team is less used to pouring big formats.
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