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.
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. Start free
The real product, not a mockup
A tour of Miselup: from the catalogue and food-cost to HACCP control and traceability. Tap any screenshot to enlarge and read it.
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Your kitchen at a glance
A dashboard with your activity, costs and alerts in one screen.
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Ingredient catalogue
1,200+ ingredients with cost, units and allergens.
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Ingredient sheet
Price per unit, allergens, conversions and supplier.
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Sub-recipes
Nested sub-recipes that recost themselves when a price changes.
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Final dishes
Your menu dishes and drinks, ready to be costed.
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Food-cost to the cent
Cost, waste and margin of the dish in real time.
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Export to professional PDF
Technical sheet and food-cost ready to print or send.
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Techniques
Your library of techniques, with photos and steps.
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Equipment & tableware
Your kitchen's tools and equipment inventory.
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Temperature control
Paperless fridge & equipment logs, with alerts.
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Expiry & FEFO rotation
Lots ordered by expiry: first to expire, first out.
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Lot traceability
From a lot, see its origin and which dishes used it, in one click.
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Allergen labels
Lot label with expiry and allergens, ready to print.
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HACCP report
The full history, ready for the health inspection.
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 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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Cocktail cost per drink: calculate your actual profitability
How to calculate the cost per cocktail drink?
What is the recommended pour cost in cocktail bars?
How does waste affect the cost per drink?
How much does ice cost per drink in a bar?
How to set the selling price of a cocktail from its cost?
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