Think of pour cost calculation like tuning a guitar - with a barjigger, you've got a tuner giving you perfect pitch every time. Without measuring, you're tuning by ear, and your ingredient costs can swing wildly from €3 to €8 for identical cocktails. Here's how to calculate pour costs both ways and why precision matters for your bottom line.
What is pour cost and why does it matter?
Pour cost works just like food cost, but for drinks. It reveals what percentage of your selling price (excl. VAT) gets eaten up by ingredients. For cocktails, you count everything: spirits, mixers, garnish, even ice.
Pour cost formula:
Pour cost % = (Ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
⚠️ Note:
Alcoholic beverages carry 21% VAT, not 9%. A cocktail priced at €12.00 incl. VAT equals €9.92 excl. VAT (€12.00 / 1.21).
Calculating pour cost WITH a barjigger (precise measuring)
Using a barjigger means you measure exactly what goes in. This delivers the most reliable pour cost calculation possible.
💡 Example: Mojito with barjigger
Selling price: €10.00 incl. 21% VAT = €8.26 excl. VAT
- White rum (6 cl): €1.80
- Lime juice (2 cl): €0.15
- Sugar syrup (1 cl): €0.05
- Mint (5 leaves): €0.10
- Soda water (8 cl): €0.05
- Ice: €0.05
Total ingredients: €2.20
Pour cost: (€2.20 / €8.26) × 100 = 26.6%
This 26.6% pour cost sits comfortably within the standard 18-25% range for cocktails. With a barjigger, you'll hit this exact number every single time.
Calculating pour cost WITHOUT measuring (by feel)
Without a barjigger, quantities shift based on who's behind the bar and how hectic the night gets. A 'shot' might be 4 centiliters from one bartender, 8 from another.
💡 Example: Same mojito without measuring
Selling price: €10.00 incl. 21% VAT = €8.26 excl. VAT
Scenario 1 (light pouring):
- White rum (4 cl): €1.20
- Other ingredients: €0.40
Total: €1.60 → Pour cost: 19.4%
Scenario 2 (heavy pouring):
- White rum (8 cl): €2.40
- Other ingredients: €0.40
Total: €2.80 → Pour cost: 33.9%
That's a 14.5 percentage point swing between light and heavy pours. Sell 100 mojitos weekly? You're looking at €120 difference in ingredient costs.
Impact of inaccurate pouring on an annual basis
The financial hit from not measuring runs deeper than most bar owners realize. Popular cocktails amplify this damage fast.
💡 Calculation example: Impact on annual basis
Café sells 50 mojitos per week, 50 weeks per year = 2,500 mojitos
- With barjigger: 2,500 × €2.20 = €5,500 ingredient costs
- Without measuring (average): 2,500 × €2.80 = €7,000 ingredient costs
Difference per year: €1,500 on just one cocktail
How do you calculate average pour cost without measuring?
If you don't measure, you're stuck making educated guesses. Run a test week by occasionally measuring what your bartenders actually pour.
- Have different bartenders make identical cocktails
- Measure afterward what they actually poured
- Calculate the average across 10-15 cocktails
- Use this average for your pour cost calculations
⚠️ Note:
This method only provides estimates. Your actual pour cost can still swing 5-10 percentage points per cocktail.
Benefits of consistently measuring with a barjigger
A barjigger costs €15-25 but saves hundreds annually on ingredients. Plus you get consistent taste and can calculate reliable pour costs. Most kitchen managers discover too late that inconsistent measuring destroyed their profit margins for months.
- Consistency: Every cocktail tastes identical
- Cost savings: No accidental over-pouring
- Reliable figures: Precise pour cost per cocktail
- Better profit margin: Control over your biggest cost driver
Tools like KitchenNmbrs let you record cocktail recipes with exact quantities and automatically calculate pour costs. But this only works reliably if you actually measure during preparation.
How do you calculate pour cost step by step?
Determine your method: measure or estimate
Choose whether you'll measure with a barjigger (most reliable) or estimate quantities. When estimating, first test for a week by measuring what your bartenders pour afterward.
Calculate ingredient costs per cocktail
Add up all ingredients: spirits, mixers, garnish and ice. When measuring use exact quantities, when estimating work with averages from your test week.
Calculate the pour cost percentage
Divide your ingredient costs by the selling price excl. 21% VAT and multiply by 100. For alcoholic beverages: price incl. VAT / 1.21 = price excl. VAT.
✨ Pro tip
Weigh empty bottles before and after shifts for 72 hours to see exactly how much your bartenders pour per cocktail. This reveals your true pour cost without changing anyone's behavior.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
What is a good pour cost for cocktails?
Standard pour cost for cocktails runs between 18% and 25%. Premium cocktails can push slightly higher (up to 28%), but above 30% makes profitability nearly impossible.
Should I include ice and garnish in the pour cost?
Yes, count everything that goes into the cocktail: spirits, mixers, ice, lemon slices, olives, mint. These 'small' ingredients can account for 10-15% of your total costs.
How do I prevent bartenders from pouring too generously?
Train your team to use barjiggers and explain the profitability impact. A cocktail that costs €1 extra in ingredients will cost you €2,500 annually with just 50 cocktails per week.
Can I calculate pour cost without adding up all ingredients?
No, reliable pour cost requires including every ingredient. Rules of thumb like '20% of selling price' won't give you an accurate picture of actual costs.
Why is VAT 21% on cocktails and not 9%?
Alcoholic beverages fall under the high VAT rate of 21%. This covers beer, wine, spirits and all cocktails containing alcohol. Non-alcoholic beverages in hospitality carry 9% VAT.
How often should I recalculate pour costs when ingredient prices change?
Recalculate monthly or whenever your supplier prices shift by more than 5%. Spirit prices can fluctuate seasonally, and even small changes compound across hundreds of cocktails.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
Calculate your cocktail costs down to the ml
Drink margins seem high, but spillage and free pours eat them up. KitchenNmbrs calculates the exact cost price of every cocktail and drink. Try it free.
Start free trial →