Most bars operate with cocktail pour costs between 18-25%, yet 67% of establishments can't accurately calculate theirs. Pour cost shows exactly what percentage of your selling price goes to ingredients - from gin to garnish to ice. Master this calculation and you'll know the real profit margin on every drink you serve.
What is pour cost?
Pour cost works just like food cost, but for beverages. It reveals what percentage of your selling price covers ingredients. Every component counts: spirits, mixers, garnishes, even ice cubes.
💡 Example:
You sell a Gin Tonic for €8.50 (incl. 21% VAT):
- Gin (5 cl): €1.20
- Tonic (15 cl): €0.45
- Lime (1 wedge): €0.15
- Ice: €0.05
Total ingredient costs: €1.85
The pour cost formula
Pour cost % = (Ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
Critical point: alcoholic drinks always use 21% VAT, not the 9% rate for food.
⚠️ Attention:
Alcohol carries 21% VAT. A Gin Tonic at €8.50 equals €7.02 excl. VAT: €8.50 / 1.21. Never divide by 1.09!
Include all ingredients
Count everything that touches the glass:
- Alcohol: Gin, vodka, rum, whisky - price per cl
- Mixers: Tonic, cola, juice - also per cl
- Garnish: Lime wedges, olives, cherries
- Ice: Small cost, but it adds up
- Syrups: Simple syrup, grenadine
Most kitchen managers discover too late that forgetting small ingredients like bitters or garnishes can throw off their entire profit calculation by 3-5%.
💡 Example Mojito:
Mojito for €9.50 (incl. 21% VAT) = €7.85 excl. VAT:
- White rum (5 cl): €1.40
- Lime (half): €0.25
- Mint (sprigs): €0.20
- Simple syrup (1 cl): €0.10
- Soda (10 cl): €0.15
- Ice: €0.05
Pour cost: (€2.15 / €7.85) × 100 = 27.4%
Standard pour cost percentages
Different drink categories hit different targets:
- Beer: 18-25%
- Wine per glass: 20-28%
- Cocktails: 18-25%
- Premium spirits: 15-22%
Cocktails often run slightly higher due to multiple ingredients and prep time.
💡 Example of excessive pour cost:
Old Fashioned for €11.00 (incl. 21% VAT) = €9.09 excl. VAT:
- Bourbon (6 cl): €3.60
- Simple syrup: €0.10
- Angostura bitters: €0.05
- Orange: €0.15
Pour cost: (€3.90 / €9.09) × 100 = 42.9%
This bleeds money! You're losing profit on every pour.
Track it digitally to save time
Manual calculations for every cocktail ingredient eat up hours. Digital tools like KitchenNmbrs let you build cocktail recipes once, then automatically display pour cost per drink.
You can quickly verify if new cocktails hit profitability targets before adding them to your menu.
How do you calculate pour cost of a cocktail? (step by step)
Gather all ingredients and prices
Write down all components that go into the cocktail: alcohol, mixers, garnish, ice. Look up the purchase price per liter/kilo and convert it to the amount you use (for example per cl).
Add up all ingredient costs
Multiply each quantity by the price per unit and add everything together. Don't forget any component, not even the small things like ice or a lime wedge.
Calculate the selling price excl. VAT
Divide your menu price by 1.21 to get the price excluding 21% VAT. Note: alcohol always has 21% VAT, not 9% like food.
Apply the pour cost formula
Divide the total ingredient costs by the selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100. A pour cost between 18-25% is standard for cocktails.
✨ Pro tip
Calculate pour costs on your top 3 cocktails sold last weekend. If they're all under 26%, your pricing strategy works and you can focus on optimizing slower-moving drinks.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to include ice in the pour cost calculation?
Yes, ice costs money through water and energy usage. Most bars calculate €0.05 per cocktail for ice. It's minimal per drink but significant over hundreds of cocktails daily.
How do I calculate the price per cl of a bottle of alcohol?
Divide purchase price by actual bottle contents in cl. A €25 bottle with 70cl costs €0.36 per cl (€25 ÷ 70). Always use actual contents, not bottle size labels.
What if my cocktail uses expensive bitters or specialty ingredients?
Factor in every drop, even if it's just €0.05 worth of Angostura bitters. These small costs accumulate across your entire cocktail program and can shift your margins by 2-4%.
📚 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.
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