Planning an Aperitif Reception: Drinks and Quantities for 10 to 100 Guests

The first guests arrive. Small bites are on the table, the drinks are chilled, and someone has time to welcome everyone. That’s exactly how a reception should feel: easy.

To make it happen, you need a plan beforehand. Whether it’s an office Christmas party, a birthday or dinner with friends, this guide takes you in ten steps from the guest list to the first glass. It covers the aperitif reception before a meal or at the start of an event – not the drinks for the whole evening. Why the aperitif comes first, we explain in “What Is an Aperitif?”

1. What kind of reception are you planning?

Start with a short brief. Note down:

• Occasion: private dinner, birthday, company party or another event.
• Number of guests: the guests you expect, not the invitations you sent.
• Time frame: start and end of the reception.
• Arrival: will everyone arrive at once or gradually?
• Afterwards: dinner, a programme or further drinks service.

An aperitif before dinner needs different planning from a reception where guests arrive over the course of an hour. And serving at home yourself is a different matter from a venue with its own bar.

2. How many guests will drink which aperitif?

The number of guests alone doesn’t tell you how many alcoholic drinks you need. Ask beforehand if you can – or work with a clear assumption. For all the examples in this article:

• one welcome drink per person,
• 70 per cent of them as a LOLA Spritz and 30 per cent as an alcohol-free aperitif,
• water on top for everyone.

This split is an example for the calculation, not a rule – adapt it to your guests. The formula behind it is simple:

Number of guests × drinks per person = reception servings

Then round to whole servings: for 25 guests, that might be 18 spritzes and seven alcohol-free drinks.

Good to know: LOLA is an alcoholic drink and only for guests aged 18 and over. If younger guests are there too, the alcohol-free aperitif is their welcome drink.

3. Which drinks belong on the menu?

For a relaxed reception, a small selection is enough: one signature drink with alcohol, a proper alcohol-free aperitif and water. Every extra recipe means more ingredients, more decisions and more work at the bar.

For your LOLA Spritz, choose the flavour profile that suits your occasion:

Flavour	LOLA	Suits
Sweet + Bitter	Orange	A classic spritz moment, warm evenings
Sweet + Sour	Lemon	Summery lightness
Fresh + Sour	Lime	Fresh, lively gatherings

Which one suits you, “Which Aperitif Suits You?” will tell you – and you’ll find all three as a spritz in “Aperol Spritz Alternatives”.

The alcohol-free aperitif deserves a fixed recipe and a nice garnish too. Try both drinks beforehand in the glass you’ll serve them in: that way you’ll know how much ice you need and how long each drink takes.

4. How much LOLA and Prosecco do you need?

Calculate in servings first, then in bottles. For one LOLA Spritz you use:

• 6 cl LOLA (60 ml),
• 4 cl Prosecco (40 ml),
• a splash of soda,
• ice and a matching citrus slice.

The formula: servings × amount per serving ÷ bottle size – and always round up to full bottles. A 500 ml bottle of LOLA makes eight spritzes.

Guests	LOLA Spritz	Alcohol-free	LOLA (500 ml)	Prosecco (750 ml)
10	7	3	1 bottle (420 ml)	1 bottle (280 ml)
25	18	7	3 bottles (1,080 ml)	1 bottle (720 ml)
50	35	15	5 bottles (2,100 ml)	2 bottles (1,400 ml)
100	70	30	9 bottles (4,200 ml)	4 bottles (2,800 ml)

The bottle numbers are rounded up to whole bottles but don’t include a reserve yet. For 25 guests, for example, the Prosecco is tight – a second bottle gives you some leeway.

And the soda? “A splash” is too vague for a shopping list. Set an amount during your test drink: at 20 ml per drink, 70 spritzes need 1.4 litres.

If you offer several flavours, calculate for each one separately – otherwise you won’t know how many bottles of Orange, Lemon or Lime to buy.

5. What goes on the shopping list?

A good shopping list also includes everything that isn’t in the recipe:

Area	What to plan for
Drinks	LOLA, Prosecco, soda, all ingredients for the alcohol-free drink, and water
Garnish	Citrus fruit – test how many slices one fruit gives you
Ice	For the drinks and for chilling the bottles
Glasses	For the aperitif and water, plus spares
Equipment	Jigger, ice scoop, knife, board, trays, napkins
Organisation	Drinks menu, containers for empties, cleaning supplies

Plan a reserve wherever there’s uncertainty – for example, with unconfirmed guests or if you can’t buy more on the day. And for the small bites to go with it, you’ll find ideas in “Aperitif at Home: 7 Tips”.

6. How much does an aperitif cost per guest?

Distinguish between the cost per drink and the shopping budget. You calculate the LOLA share of a spritz like this:

Bottle price ÷ 500 ml × 60 ml

Add Prosecco, soda, ice and garnish. For the shopping budget, however, full bottles count: an opened bottle costs the full price, even if you only use part of it. For a company event, glass hire, transport and staff may be added – keep a buffer for them. Planning a larger event and have questions about quantities? Get in touch.

A good reception feels effortless. Because someone did the maths beforehand.

7. How much ice and how many glasses do you need?

Check the space before you shop: will all the drinks fit in the fridge? Where will the ice be stored? Who brings supplies to the bar?

To work out the ice, fill a glass the way you’ll serve it and weigh the ice. Example: at 150 g per drink, 70 spritzes need 10.5 kg of ice – plus ice for the alcohol-free drink and for chilling the bottles.

With glasses, the flow is what counts: if all guests are to get a glass at the same time, you need that many glasses at the same time. Fewer glasses only work if someone reliably keeps washing up.

8. How do you avoid queues at the bar?

With many guests, serving becomes the bottleneck. During your test drink, time how long one drink takes, from ice to handing it over. Example: at 30 seconds per drink, 70 drinks take around 35 minutes at a single station – without refills and questions.

From a certain number of guests, it’s worth splitting the tasks:

• one person prepares glasses and ice,
• one person mixes and garnishes,
• one person hands out drinks, water and supplies.

Set the water up so nobody has to queue at the bar for it.

9. What can you prepare in advance?

When	What
Once the guest count is set	Update servings, shopping, budget and tasks
The day before	Chill the drinks, count the equipment, lay out recipe cards
Before the reception	Set up the bar, cut and chill the garnishes, organise supplies
Just before you start	Mix a test drink, go through amounts and tasks with the team

Prosecco, soda and ice only go into the glass when you serve. That way the spritz stays fresh and bubbly instead of getting watered down.

10. What do you check before you start?

Walk through the reception once from your guests’ point of view: where do they arrive? Where do they find the drinks? And where do the empty glasses go?

• The guest count and drinks split are up to date.
• The shopping matches the recipe amounts.
• The alcohol-free aperitif and water are ready.
• There’s enough cooling, ice and glasses.
• Tasks and supplies are assigned.
• For an outdoor reception, there’s a plan B for the weather.
• The way home is sorted – by taxi, bus or with a driver who stays sober.

After the event, note how many drinks were actually served and what was left over. That makes your next plan even more accurate.

Your reception with LOLA

Orange, Lemon or Lime: choose the flavour profile that suits your occasion and build the reception around it. A clear recipe, good preparation and well-planned serving leave you with what really matters: time for your guests.

Planning a company party or a larger event, or would you like to work with LOLA? Tell us about your idea – with the date, location and number of guests – via our contact form. We’ll get back to you.

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