Pour cost tracks how much of each drink sale goes straight to ingredient costs - and it's where most bar owners discover they're bleeding money without realizing it. This percentage calculation works exactly like food cost but applies to your cocktails, beer, and wine. Most bars that fail do so because they never calculated whether their drinks actually turn a profit.
What exactly is pour cost?
Pour cost reveals what slice of your drink revenue gets eaten up by ingredients. You're calculating the percentage of your selling price (minus VAT) that goes toward what you poured into the glass.
💡 Example:
You sell a gin and tonic for €8.50 (incl. 21% VAT):
- Selling price excl. VAT: €8.50 / 1.21 = €7.02
- Gin (5cl): €1.20
- Tonic (20cl): €0.40
- Garnish (lime): €0.15
Pour cost: (€1.75 / €7.02) × 100 = 24.9%
The formula for pour cost
The math mirrors food cost calculations, just applied to beverages:
Pour cost % = (Drink ingredients / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
⚠️ Note:
Alcohol carries 21% VAT, not 9%! Always work with the VAT-excluded price or your pour cost will be completely wrong.
Standard pour cost percentages
Each drink category has its own target range:
- Beer: 20-28% (bottles cost more than draft)
- Wine by the glass: 18-25%
- Cocktails: 18-25%
- Premium spirits: 15-22%
- Non-alcoholic: 15-25% (9% VAT applies!)
💡 Example cocktail:
Mojito for €12.00 (incl. 21% VAT):
- Rum (5cl): €1.80
- Lime (half): €0.25
- Mint: €0.15
- Sugar syrup: €0.10
- Soda: €0.20
Total: €2.50 on €9.92 excl. VAT = 25.2% pour cost
What to watch out for with cocktails?
Cocktails hide costs that'll sneak up on you if you're not careful:
- Garnish: those limes, olives, and cherries add up fast
- Mixers: tonic, soda, and fruit juices aren't free
- Ice: costs real money (water, energy, prep time)
- Syrups: whether homemade or bought, they count
This is the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss - every single ingredient matters, no matter how small it seems.
Pour cost versus profit margin
Don't get fooled into thinking low pour cost equals high profits. You've still got bartender wages, equipment costs, and overhead eating into your margins. Most successful bars target total margins around 65-75%.
💡 Example margin:
Beer for €3.50 (incl. 21% VAT):
- Beer purchase: €0.75 (26% pour cost)
- Staff + overhead: €1.40
- Profit: €1.35 on €2.89 excl. VAT = 47%
How to improve your pour cost?
If your numbers are running too high, here's what actually works:
- Portion control: Use jiggers instead of free-pouring spirits
- Better buying: Negotiate harder with suppliers or find new ones
- Price adjustments: Raise menu prices on your worst performers
- Recipe consistency: Same drink, same cost, every single time
Digital tracking systems
Tools like a food cost calculator can automatically crunch pour cost numbers for every cocktail on your menu. You input your recipes with exact measurements and current purchase prices, then instantly see which drinks make money and which don't. Perfect for deciding what to promote and what needs fixing.
How do you calculate pour cost? (step by step)
Gather all ingredients and prices
Make a list of all ingredients in your cocktail or drink. Note the purchase price per bottle and convert to price per centiliter. Don't forget garnish, mixers and syrups.
Calculate the cost per serving
Add up all ingredient costs for one glass. Use the exact quantities from your recipe. A jigger helps you measure consistently.
Divide by selling price excluding VAT
Divide the total ingredient costs by your selling price excluding 21% VAT. Multiply by 100 for the percentage. Aim for 18-25% pour cost.
✨ Pro tip
Track your bartenders' pour accuracy over a 2-week period using a jigger versus free-pouring. That extra half-centiliter per cocktail costs €300+ annually if you're moving 150 cocktails weekly.
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
Should I include ice in my pour cost calculation?
Ice costs are small per drink but add up over volume. Figure roughly €0.05-0.10 per cocktail for ice when you're doing the math.
What if my pour cost comes out above 30%?
You're losing money on that drink, plain and simple. Check if you're over-pouring, paying too much for ingredients, or need to raise your prices.
Does pour cost differ between draft beer and bottles?
Absolutely - draft beer typically runs 20-25% pour cost while bottles hit 25-30% because of the per-liter price difference.
How often should I recalculate my pour costs?
Monthly for your top sellers, quarterly for everything else. Supplier prices change constantly and you won't notice the margin erosion until it's too late.
Can I just estimate pour cost instead of calculating exactly?
Estimating will cost you money, especially on complex cocktails with multiple ingredients. Calculate precisely for any drink you sell regularly.
What's the biggest mistake bars make with pour cost tracking?
Forgetting about garnishes and mixers - they focus on the alcohol cost but ignore everything else that goes in the glass. Those "small" costs destroy your margins over time.
📚 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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