Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

NYE hosting - how much booze should I buy?

73 replies

putyourshoesonnow · 30/12/2023 15:59

I’m hosting dinner for 8 people on NYE. They are mostly middle aged, middle of the road drinkers (so quite thirsty!) Arriving at 8pm and obv staying til after midnight.
I don’t drink alcohol so I don’t want to overspend and end up with loads of leftovers. So what is the minimum I can get away with buying without being a kill-joy? Do I need to offer all of beer, red, white and fizz? Anything else? And how many bottles?

I’m thinking 8 beers, 2 white, 2 fizz (1 saved til midnight) and unlimited red (I have a rack full of that for when my Dad visits).

Is that enough? They’ve all known me for years and know that I don’t drink, so I suspect they’ll come armed with bottles as well.

YABU - Too little, you’re risking being a killjoy
YANBU - That’s enough, they can get stuck into the red if they’re desperate enough

OP posts:
Businessflake · 30/12/2023 16:12

Doggymummar · 30/12/2023 16:09

Yes, if they were hosting I would expect they host generously. I don't want to make a glass of wine last all night, I'd rather stay home. Some people don't drink beer or wine you need to offer alternatives. If it was my house we would need tequila and rum too as that's what friends. Drink on a night out.

Show quote history

No one expects unlimited free spirits at a friends house. Beer and wine is absolutely fine.

baubl · 30/12/2023 16:12

I don't want to make a glass of wine last all night, I'd rather stay home. TBF, if you turned up to dinner without any wine in your hand I'd wish you had stayed at home.

AvengedQuince · 30/12/2023 16:13

I certainly would not expect more than a glass of fizz on arrival, another for midnight, and half a bottle per person of wine with dinner. Anything else I would expect to bring.

Doggymummar · 30/12/2023 16:16

baubl · 30/12/2023 16:12

I don't want to make a glass of wine last all night, I'd rather stay home. TBF, if you turned up to dinner without any wine in your hand I'd wish you had stayed at home.

I absolutely would turn up with what we would drink. Of course, who wouldn't? Plus hostess gift and a dessert or cheeseboard, that she didn't ask how much will people bring. But I also know what my friends prefer to drink too and would feel bad if Nick wanted JD and coke and I had to run out for it.

Whiskeypowers · 30/12/2023 16:17

As a guest I would definitely bring a couple of nice bottles - perhaps one fizz one white

if I were hosting would definitely have stuff for gin / vodka and tonics so probably a 75cl bottle of both and some mixers / ice/ garnishes plus probably double the amount of wine and beer you have

AlltheFs · 30/12/2023 16:17

I would make it clear that they need to
bring some drinks.

I’d say something like “I’m providing fizz, beer and soft drinks. please bring anything else you might like with you”.

Then I’d have a crate of beer and at least 1 bottle fizz per person available.

For context 5 adults did 6 fizz on Christmas day between 11 and 6. Plus other drinks.

Bestyearever2024 · 30/12/2023 16:18

AlltheFs · 30/12/2023 16:17

I would make it clear that they need to
bring some drinks.

I’d say something like “I’m providing fizz, beer and soft drinks. please bring anything else you might like with you”.

Then I’d have a crate of beer and at least 1 bottle fizz per person available.

For context 5 adults did 6 fizz on Christmas day between 11 and 6. Plus other drinks.

Actually this is a way better idea than mine. Do this!

Cookerhood · 30/12/2023 16:20

Most people I know would usually have a G&T, or a beer or a glass of fizz before dinner but wouldn't be fussed if there was no G&/T, for example, they'd just have a glass of wine instead.
I do think you need to up the quantities a little though, NYE is quite a long session! People will bring wine or fizz with them, I would have thought.
We went to friends last night (8 people). We had fizz beforehand (one bottle but 2 had beers & 3 were driving), 2 bottles of white wine, one of red, but that was a very low key post Christmas evening, not NYE.

MasterBeth · 30/12/2023 16:22

Businessflake · 30/12/2023 16:12

No one expects unlimited free spirits at a friends house. Beer and wine is absolutely fine.

Show quote history

I mean, I would. I wouldn't put it like that, but if I was offered a gin or a whisky, I wouldn't expect to be on rations.

But as a teetotaler, I wouldn't expect you to be au fait with drinking rules.

ZenNudist · 30/12/2023 16:24

Send a text "looking forward to seeing you all. Can I ask you to bring what you want to drink please? "

Or ask them what they are drinking but that runs the risk of someone asking for lots of spirits.

To cater to friends I have in: a variety of gin (dont touch the stuff but dh does and he gets bought it as gifts), tonic, plenty (6 each) of red and white wine, copious (like about 8 - 10 bottles right now) prosecco, tequila and all the fixings for margarita, vodka that never gets drunk but my friends dd is 18 now and I hope she might clear that one away! Mulled wine at Christmas plus a massive whiskey collection (again dh gets gifted it then we don't drink it, I won't touch it but the blokes seem to enjoy a bit at the end of the night), plus port and sherry also at Christmas.. (and aperol in summer but the bottle never goes down) mixers are a problem as my dc demolish them but I usually have those mini cans of ginger ale and lemonade and tonics around party season.

HelenHerriott · 30/12/2023 16:25

We’re hosting 10 tomorrow and are tee total, I roughly calculated

3 bottles of fizz for a welcome drink
3 bottles of red and 4 bottles of white for the meal
24 bottles of beer
We also have a duly stocked drinks cabinet with spirits and mixers
3 bottles of fizz for the bells

MadamVastra · 30/12/2023 16:28

This is like the four large pizzas for 20 people thread

greenmarsupial · 30/12/2023 16:28

People will bring alcohol but I find that they tend to drink the same thing regardless of what they have brought. So if one says fizzy then the rest will go along with that, it means you need lots of everything and then roll over whatever is left!

KnickerlessParsons · 30/12/2023 16:29

If you go to a small off licence they might do sale or return. I think some supermarkets do too.

ellie09 · 30/12/2023 16:36

I would let them know you got a couple of bottles of fizz for the countdown etc and if they would like their own drinks its BYO so everybody can bring however much they like.

I wouldnt expect anyone to provide my drinks all night if they are cooking me dinner.

CateringPanic · 30/12/2023 16:44

Eight individual beers is nowhere near enough!! The rest is fine

BakewellFart · 30/12/2023 17:01

I enjoy a drink but I really really hate wine! Obviously I wouldn’t turn up empty handed. I would bring beers and gin / vodka / rum / mixers - basically whatever I fancy that particular day.

Original poster
putyourshoesonnow · 30/12/2023 17:06

Ok - I clearly need to up my game!! Thankyou all for such a wide perspective. Different people expect such wildly different amounts - it’s difficult to balance having enough with not going overboard!

All the mentions of G&T reminded me that I was gifted a fancy bottle of gin a while back, so I’ll get tonic in for that. I’ll double the beer and white wine and also get 2 bottles of champagne for midnight.

I like the idea of sending a message along the lines of ‘Looking forward to seeing you all, I’ve got XYZ in, if there is anything you would prefer just let me know’. They are all very lovely people, so I do suspect that they will come laden with drinks themselves - but equally they might bring flowers and chocs… so I can’t really depend on it!

Happy New Year to you all!

OP posts:
SecondUsername4me · 30/12/2023 17:54

Your update sounds good!

"Hi all, I've got G&T for arrivals and some wines and beers for the meal and some fizz for midnight but feel free to bring anything else you fancy! Looking forward to seeing the new year in with you all"

SecondUsername4me · 30/12/2023 17:55

If I know the host is providing (eg) Gin for welcome drinks then I'd gift them a replacement bottle for next time as a thank you for dinner.

Dotjones · 30/12/2023 17:56

8 beers, 2 white, 2 fizz (1 saved til midnight) and unlimited red

If that's per person that sounds excessive but if that's for all 8 it sounds niggardly in the extreme.

I'd expect the guests to bring some of their own alcohol but I think you need to get a lot more than this.

KT8282 · 30/12/2023 19:58

I have teetotal friends and would never expect them to provide booze when they are hosting. We always take our own if we want a drink. For a NYE party it wouldn’t surprise me if they got a few beers in anyway but considering they have no idea what’s good and what isn’t it may well not be very nice anyway! I think what you’re offering is more than enough (everyone seems to be missing the unlimited red wine?!). When I go to my bestie’s for NYE I take 6-8 bottles of wine/fizz as well as a bottle or 2 of gin, and that’s knowing she’ll have enough booze to stock Costco for a month 😂

fuckssaaaaake · 30/12/2023 21:52

Wait, they'll all bring a few bottles each! No need for everyone to be so dramatic about how little it is. It's generous considering you don't drink

Whaleandsnail6 · 30/12/2023 22:02

Every time we have a get together with friends, no matter what friend group, people provide their own alcohol. The hosts usually has a bottle or 2 of wine or some left over spirits or beers but people always bring what they want to drink for the night.

The message I'd send would be "looking forwards to seeing you all, Ive got snacks and pop and the toast for midnight so just bring whatever alcohol you fancy drinking " (in fact thats pretty much the message I've received from our friend who is hosting us tomorrow!)

NorthernSpirit · 30/12/2023 22:04

Bar owner here….

For 5 hours of drinking (8pm to 1am) for 8 people, assuming 50/50 men & women, they will likely drink 2 drinks each per hour - you’ll need 10 drinks pp / 80 serves.

I’d provide:

Fizz as a welcome drink & to toast the new year in - 3 glasses pp (and you’ll likely over pour at home) = 24 glasses / 5 bottles

Beer - likely to be drunk by the men. Assume 4 per man = 16 bottles

Wine - I’d do 50% red, 50% white. @ 5 glasses per bottle. I would provide 40 glasses / 8 bottles.

Are you providing any spirits & mixers?

I’d also have some soft drinks to hand.