Free tool
Pour cost calculator
Enter what a bottle costs and what you charge for a drink. You'll see what each pour costs you, your pour cost percentage, and what to charge to hit your target.
Liquor cost for a week or month
Pour cost per drink tells you how a recipe is priced. Your real liquor cost comes from what you used against what you sold.
What pour cost means
Pour cost is the cost of the liquor in a drink as a share of what you charge for it. A drink that costs you $1.80 to make and sells for $9 has a 20% pour cost.
Pour cost % = cost of the pour ÷ menu price × 100
Many bars aim for roughly 18 to 24% on liquor, though the right number depends on your concept, your prices and what you pour.
Why your real number is usually higher
A recipe's pour cost assumes every ounce is sold. Over-pours, spills, comps and missing bottles all push the real number up. The period calculator above shows your actual liquor cost:
Liquor cost % = (opening inventory + purchases − closing inventory) ÷ liquor sales × 100
If that's well above your recipes' pour cost, product is leaving the bar without being rung in. Comparing what you counted with what your POS says you sold shows which bottles it's happening on.
Let the count do the math.
Bar Ledger works out pour cost for every product from your counts, invoices and POS sales. 14 days free, no card required.