Pour cost is what a drink costs you as a percentage of its selling price without VAT. It is the bar's version of food cost: a 25% pour cost is a 75% GP.

What measures can I sell spirits, wine and beer in?

Under the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988, gin, rum, vodka and whisky are sold in 25ml or 35ml measures and multiples (not both on the same premises), still wine by the glass in 125ml or 175ml and multiples, and draught beer and cider in a third, half or two-thirds of a pint and multiples of a half.

How many serves are in a bottle?

Divide the bottle size by the measure. A 70cl bottle gives 28 single 25ml measures or 14 doubles of 50ml. A 75cl bottle of wine gives six 125ml glasses, four full 175ml glasses or three 250ml glasses.

What GP should drinks make?

There is no official figure. Spirits and wine usually carry a higher GP than food and draught beer a lower one, so a pub selling mostly draught runs a lower drinks GP than a cocktail bar. Set targets from your own sales mix and stock results.

Should I allow for wastage?

On draught, yes: line cleaning, fobbing and spillage mean you never sell every pint in a keg, so use your stock results to set the allowance. On measured spirits wastage should be close to zero; a big gap between expected and actual usage is a stock control question.

Pour cost and drinks GP calculator

Enter what a bottle or keg costs you and the measure you serve. You get the cost of each serve, the GP at your current price and the price that hits your target, with UK VAT handled.

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A bartender measuring a spirit with a steel jigger at a busy bar.

Example figures are filled in. Change any field to use yours.

Bottle or keg cost, without VAT

Bottle or keg size

70cl spirits, 75cl wine, 5000cl for a 50 litre keg.

Measure

Or type the measure

Mixer and garnish per serve

Leave at 0 for a straight pour.

Wastage allowance

For draught line cleaning and spillage.

Selling price, inc VAT

VAT rate

Target gross profit

Result

GP at £9.50: 76.4%; Pour cost 23.6% of the price without VAT.
Cost per serve: £1.87
Serves per bottle or keg: 14
Price for 75% GP, inc VAT: £8.98
Cash GP per serve: £6.05
Cash GP per bottle or keg: £84.63

Draught: 1 pint is 568ml, so a 50 litre keg holds about 88 pints before wastage.

How the calculator works

Pour cost is food cost for the bar: what a serve costs you as a share of what you take for it once VAT is off.

Serves per container = container size ÷ measure, after any wastage allowance
Cost per serve = container cost ÷ serves + mixer and garnish
Pour cost % = cost per serve ÷ (selling price ÷ (1 + VAT rate)) × 100
GP % = 100% − pour cost %
Price for your target GP = cost per serve ÷ (1 − target GP %) × (1 + VAT rate)

Worked example: a double gin and tonic

A 70cl bottle of gin costs £18.50 without VAT, and the drink is a 50ml double with £0.55 of tonic and garnish, sold for £9.50.

Step	Calculation	Result
Serves per bottle	700ml ÷ 50ml	14
Gin per serve	£18.50 ÷ 14	£1.32
Cost per serve	£1.32 + £0.55	£1.87
Price without VAT	£9.50 ÷ 1.2	£7.92
Pour cost	£1.87 ÷ £7.92	23.6%

The drink makes a 76.4% GP. To hit exactly 75%, it would need £8.98 on the menu.

Measures you can sell in

The Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988 sets the quantities for drinks sold by measure:

Drink	Permitted quantities
Gin, rum, vodka and whisky	25ml and multiples, or 35ml and multiples (not both on the same premises)
Still wine by the glass	125ml, 175ml and multiples of either
Draught beer and cider	A third, half or two-thirds of a pint, and multiples of half a pint

In England and Wales your premises licence also requires you to offer small measures (half a pint, 25ml or 35ml spirits and 125ml wine) and to make customers aware of them.

Where bar GP leaks

Free pouring. 30ml poured for a 25ml measure is a 20% overpour on every drink. Use jiggers or optics.
Line cleaning and fobbing on draught. Real, but measurable: compare kegs bought with pints sold each week.
Old prices. Spirit and wine prices move with duty and supplier lists. Re-cost when a price changes, not once a year.

Frequently asked questions

What is pour cost?: Pour cost is what a drink costs you as a percentage of its selling price without VAT. It is the bar's version of food cost: a 25% pour cost is a 75% GP.
What measures can I sell spirits, wine and beer in?: Under the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988, gin, rum, vodka and whisky are sold in 25ml or 35ml measures and multiples (not both on the same premises), still wine by the glass in 125ml or 175ml and multiples, and draught beer and cider in a third, half or two-thirds of a pint and multiples of a half.
How many serves are in a bottle?: Divide the bottle size by the measure. A 70cl bottle gives 28 single 25ml measures or 14 doubles of 50ml. A 75cl bottle of wine gives six 125ml glasses, four full 175ml glasses or three 250ml glasses.
What GP should drinks make?: There is no official figure. Spirits and wine usually carry a higher GP than food and draught beer a lower one, so a pub selling mostly draught runs a lower drinks GP than a cocktail bar. Set targets from your own sales mix and stock results.
Should I allow for wastage?: On draught, yes: line cleaning, fobbing and spillage mean you never sell every pint in a keg, so use your stock results to set the allowance. On measured spirits wastage should be close to zero; a big gap between expected and actual usage is a stock control question.

Results are estimates for planning, based only on the figures you enter. They are not financial, tax or legal advice. The calculation runs in your browser and TablePort does not see or save the figures you enter.

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