Free tool

Cocktail cost per drink: calculate your actual profitability

A free tool for hospitality professionals and bartenders that calculates the exact cost per drink factoring in bottle costs, waste, and extras, displaying the cost percentage against the selling price.

Bottle price (€) Bottle volume (ml) ml per drink Waste (%) Extras per drink: garnish, ice… (€) Drink price, VAT incl. (€) — optional

Drinks per bottle

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Cost per drink

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Pour cost

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Gross margin per drink

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Typical target pour cost behind the bar: 18-24%.

This calculator solves the cost of a cocktail instantly, but to keep your entire menu's recipe costing up to date and automate spec sheets, Miselup provides the all-in-one solution. Create your account

See it inside

The real product, not a mockup

Explore the catalog, recipe costing, HACCP controls and traceability in Miselup.

Your business at a glance

A dashboard with your activity, costs and alerts in one screen.
Ingredient catalogue

1,200+ ingredients with cost, units and allergens.
Ingredient sheet

Price per unit, allergens, conversions and supplier.
Sub-recipes

Nested sub-recipes that recost themselves when a price changes.
Final preparations

Dishes, drinks, desserts or trays: everything you sell, ready to cost.
Food-cost to the cent

Cost, waste and margin of the final preparation in real time.
Export to professional PDF

Technical sheet and food-cost ready to print or send.
Techniques

Your library of techniques, with photos and steps.
Equipment & tableware

Your production space's tools and equipment inventory.
Controls in the portal

Configured controls, reading status and access to the form. Documentary records needing attachments are entered in management.
Measurement and corrective action

Product core-temperature recording and corrective action for deviations; this recording type is available in Mise Pro HACCP.
Your business at a glance

A dashboard with your activity, costs and alerts in one screen.
Ingredient catalogue

1,200+ ingredients with cost, units and allergens.
Ingredient sheet

Price per unit, allergens, conversions and supplier.
Sub-recipes

Nested sub-recipes that recost themselves when a price changes.
Final preparations

Dishes, drinks, desserts or trays: everything you sell, ready to cost.
Food-cost to the cent

Cost, waste and margin of the final preparation in real time.
Export to professional PDF

Technical sheet and food-cost ready to print or send.
Techniques

Your library of techniques, with photos and steps.
Equipment & tableware

Your production space's tools and equipment inventory.
Controls in the portal

Configured controls, reading status and access to the form. Documentary records needing attachments are entered in management.
Measurement and corrective action

Product core-temperature recording and corrective action for deviations; this recording type is available in Mise Pro HACCP.
Your business at a glance

A dashboard with your activity, costs and alerts in one screen.
Ingredient catalogue

1,200+ ingredients with cost, units and allergens.
Ingredient sheet

Price per unit, allergens, conversions and supplier.
Sub-recipes

Nested sub-recipes that recost themselves when a price changes.
Final preparations

Dishes, drinks, desserts or trays: everything you sell, ready to cost.
Food-cost to the cent

Cost, waste and margin of the final preparation in real time.
Export to professional PDF

Technical sheet and food-cost ready to print or send.
Techniques

Your library of techniques, with photos and steps.
Equipment & tableware

Your production space's tools and equipment inventory.
Controls in the portal

Configured controls, reading status and access to the form. Documentary records needing attachments are entered in management.
Measurement and corrective action

Product core-temperature recording and corrective action for deviations; this recording type is available in Mise Pro HACCP.

The cost per cocktail serving is the actual expense of serving one unit, including ingredients, waste, and garnish. In hospitality, monitoring this figure is critical: many businesses lose up to 5% of their gross margin by not calculating it correctly, especially in cocktail bars where the ideal pour cost falls between 18% and 24%.

With the calculator's result, you can compare the actual cost against the selling price and adjust prices, portion sizes, or recipes. If your cost percentage (pour cost) exceeds 24%, it's time to renegotiate with suppliers, reduce waste, or rethink the selling price to maintain the venue's profitability.

How to use it

How to use the calculator

Enter the bottle details

Provide the purchase price of the bottle (excluding VAT) and the total millilitres it contains.

Add the service details

Specify the millilitres poured per drink, the typical waste percentage (spillage, evaporation), and extra costs such as ice, garnish, or straws.

Get the cost per drink and pour cost

The tool instantly calculates the unit cost per drink and the percentage it represents over the selling price you set, so you can make data-driven decisions.

Benchmarks

Industry benchmarks

Pour cost in cocktail bars: 18% - 24%

Well-managed venues keep the cost of mixed drinks between 18% and 24% of the selling price. Above 25%, it's hard to sustain the operating margin.

Standard waste: 5% - 10%

Account for 5% loss from spillage or evaporation in open bottles; in high-volume cocktail bars it can rise to 10%.

Average garnish and ice cost: €0.10 - €0.30

Extras per drink (citrus slice, olive, ice, straw) usually range from €0.10 to €0.30, depending on quality and presentation.

Target gross margin: 70% - 80%

With a pour cost of 20% to 24%, the pre-tax gross margin sits between 76% and 80%, which is necessary to cover other fixed costs.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Cocktail cost per drink: calculate your actual profitability

How to calculate the cost per cocktail drink?

Divide the bottle price by the total millilitres to get the cost per ml, multiply by the ml poured, and add the cost of extras plus waste. Our calculator automates this process in seconds.

What is the recommended pour cost in cocktail bars?

The ideal pour cost ranges between 18% and 24% of the selling price. Below 18% may indicate prices too high that scare off customers; above 24% usually hurts profitability.

How does waste affect the cost per drink?

Waste from spills, evaporation, or service errors increases the real cost. A 5-10% waste on the poured volume can raise the pour cost by 2-4 percentage points if not controlled.

How much does ice cost per drink in a bar?

The cost of ice per drink is around €0.05 - €0.10 if produced on-site, and up to €0.20 if bought in bags. It affects the total pour cost and should be included in the recipe costing.

How to set the selling price of a cocktail from its cost?

Divide the cost per drink by the target pour cost (e.g., 0.22) to get a suggested selling price. For example, if it costs you €1.50 and you want a 20% pour cost, the selling price would be €7.50.

Ready to sell with clear margins?

Get costs and margins under control from day one and run your business on real numbers. From €19 a month; Mise Pro adds purchasing, inventory and daily P&L.

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