Over-pouring is like a leaky faucet in your profit margins - each extra drop adds up to a flood of lost revenue. A few milliliters extra per drink seems harmless, but costs you hundreds of euros monthly. You'll discover exactly how to calculate what over-pouring costs and how to stop it.
What exactly is over-pouring?
Over-pouring happens when your bartender pours more than the standard portion. This can be intentional (being generous to regulars) or unintentional (not using measuring cups, pouring 'by feel').
💡 Example:
Your recipe calls for 4 cl gin per gin and tonic, but your bartender pours 5 cl:
- Over-pouring per drink: 1 cl (25% more)
- At 100 gin and tonics per week: 100 cl = 1 liter extra gin
- Cost per liter gin: €35
Extra costs per week: €35
The hidden costs of over-pouring
Over-pouring hits you twice: higher purchasing costs and worse pour cost. Pour cost is the alcoholic equivalent of food cost - the percentage of your selling price that goes to drinks.
Pour cost formula:
Pour cost % = (Drink costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
⚠️ Note:
Alcoholic drinks carry 21% VAT, not 9%. A beer at €3.00 incl. VAT is €2.48 excl. VAT.
Calculate your monthly over-pouring costs
To calculate your over-pouring costs, you need three numbers:
- How much you over-pour per drink (in cl or ml)
- Number of drinks per month
- Purchase price of your drink per liter
💡 Example calculation:
Café with over-pouring on beer:
- Standard: 25 cl per glass
- Actual: 28 cl per glass (3 cl over-pouring)
- Sales: 800 beers per month
- Beer purchase price: €1.20 per liter
Calculation: 3 cl × 800 glasses = 24 liters extra per month
Monthly costs: 24 liters × €1.20 = €28.80
Where over-pouring happens most
Not all drinks are equally vulnerable to over-pouring:
- Beer: Often 2-5 cl too much due to foam head and 'generous' pouring
- Wine by the glass: 1-2 cl extra, especially costly with expensive wines
- Spirits/cocktails: Biggest impact due to high purchase price
- Soft drinks: Less costly, but volume impact is large
💡 Example spirits:
Whisky over-pouring of 0.5 cl per drink:
- Sales: 120 whiskies per month
- Over-pouring: 120 × 0.5 cl = 60 cl = 0.6 liter
- Whisky purchase price: €45 per liter
Monthly costs: €27.00
Impact on your pour cost percentage
Over-pouring directly damages your pour cost. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, a typical pour cost for alcoholic drinks runs between 18-25%. But over-pouring can push this up to 30% or more.
⚠️ Note:
With a pour cost above 28% you're probably losing money on your drinks. Check this regularly, especially on your top-selling drinks.
How do you prevent over-pouring?
Over-pouring is often unconscious behavior. These measures help:
- Use measuring cups: Especially for spirits and cocktails
- Calibrate pourers: Check if your beer tap really delivers 25 cl
- Measure wine by the glass: 12.5 cl is standard, not 'by feel'
- Train your team: Explain why correct portions matter
- Check regularly: Randomly measure poured drinks afterwards
Digital control on over-pouring
With a system like KitchenNmbrs you can track your pour cost per drink and immediately spot if you're pouring too much. You'll see each month how much over-pouring costs you, without having to calculate it yourself.
How do you calculate your over-pouring costs? (step by step)
Measure your actual portions
Have your bartender pour 10 drinks as normal and measure them afterwards. Calculate the average and compare with your standard portion. The difference is your over-pouring per drink.
Count your monthly sales
Check your POS system how much of each drink you sell per month. Focus first on your 5 best-selling alcoholic drinks - that's where the biggest impact is.
Calculate the monthly costs
Multiply over-pouring per drink × number sold × purchase price per cl. Add up all drinks for your total monthly over-pouring costs.
✨ Pro tip
Measure your 3 top-selling alcoholic drinks for over-pouring this week. If those portions are accurate, you've eliminated 80% of your over-pouring losses.
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
How much over-pouring is normal in a bar?
An over-pouring of 5-10% is often considered acceptable, but every bit of over-pouring costs money. With expensive spirits, even 5% over-pouring becomes costly quickly.
Should I punish my staff for over-pouring?
Over-pouring is usually unconscious behavior, not intentional theft. Train your team on correct portions and explain why this matters for the business. Use positive coaching instead of punishment.
How often should I check portions?
Check at least once per week with randomly poured drinks. With new employees or after training, check more frequently until it becomes automatic.
Can I prevent over-pouring with automatic pouring systems?
Partially yes. Automatic beer and wine pourers give consistent portions, but for cocktails and spirits you still depend on your bartender and measuring cups.
📚 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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