Beverage program planning
Complimentary beverage planning from Virginia's most experienced specialists. Working out how much to buy, what to serve and how to make it feel considered is the most stressful part of planning drinks. We take the guesswork out of it, and we do not charge for it.
Planning is free. You buy the alcohol at retail and keep the margin.
- What planning includes
- A consultation with a real beverage specialist, free
- A custom cocktail menu built for your event
- A shopping list with quantities, brands and rough costs
- Equipment and glassware recommendations
- Honest quantity math, because we do not sell you the alcohol
- A run sheet so the day itself is not improvised
You buy the alcohol. We just tell you exactly what to buy.
In Virginia a bar service cannot buy the liquor and sell it back to you, so nobody here is making a margin on your bottles. What varies is whether your vendor helps you buy well or leaves you guessing in the aisle.
We build you a shopping list covering what to buy, how much of it, where to get it and roughly what it should cost, and you purchase it at retail in your own name.
On a cash bar or a fundraiser, that means the margin on every drink belongs to you rather than to us. On a private event, it means you are not paying a markup on a bottle you could have bought yourself. It is also why we can be honest about quantities: we do not make more money when you over-buy.
What you get
The consultation
Your planner walks through the event, the vision and the budget, and takes notes the whole way. No charge, no obligation.
A custom cocktail menu
Built around your event rather than pulled off a shelf, with a named drink for the occasion if you want one.
The shopping list
What to buy, how much of it, where to get it and roughly what it should cost. This is the document clients tell us they value most.
Quantity math
How much beer, wine and spirits a room of your size actually drinks over your hours, so you are not left with fourteen unopened bottles.
Equipment plan
Bars, glassware, ice and add-ons sized to the menu and the headcount, with nothing on the list you do not need.
A day-of run sheet
When the bar opens, when it closes, when the toast lands, and who is doing what.
We plan for
- Weddings
- Corporate events
- Fundraisers
- Festivals
- Private parties
- Conventions
- Holiday parties
- Dry & non-alcoholic events
All of the planning is complimentary. You are never charged for the consultation, the menu or the shopping list.
How it works
-
We listen first
You talk, we take notes. The date, the room, the guest list, what you have seen that you liked and what you would rather avoid. No pitch until we understand the event.
-
We tell you what we would do
A menu, quantities, equipment and a realistic budget, with the reasoning, so you can push back on any of it. If something is not worth the money we say so.
-
We price the alcohol for you
A free alcohol budget lands with your service estimate, so you can see the whole scope in one place and what it works out to per drink. The full shopping list (brands, volumes and where to buy them) follows once you book.
-
You buy it at retail
In your own name, keeping the margin. Then we turn up and run the bar.
Questions about planning
Is the planning really free?
Yes. The consultation, the custom menu, the equipment recommendations and an alcohol budget estimate are all complimentary. The budget comes with your service estimate so you can see the full scope and the per-drink cost before you commit to anything.
The detailed shopping list, with brands, volumes and where to buy, follows once you book. We make our money on staffing and rentals, not on planning and not on your alcohol.
How much alcohol should we buy?
It depends on headcount, hours, the season, and how many of your guests actually drink. That last one matters more than people expect, which is why the estimate builder asks it directly. We would rather you bought the right amount than the impressive amount.
Do you buy the alcohol for us?
Not normally. You buy at retail in your own name and keep the margin, which on a cash bar or a fundraiser is the entire point. If you would rather we handled the buying, ask and we will talk it through.
Can you plan a dry event?
Yes, and we do it often. Every cocktail on our menu can be built as a mocktail, and we run full non-alcoholic stations with fresh shaken lemonades, infused waters and locally roasted coffee.
What if we already know what we want?
Then we will get out of the way and price it. Planning is there for people who want it, not a step you have to sit through.
How far ahead should we start?
The sooner the better for peak-season Saturdays. That said, if your date is close, ask anyway. We would rather tell you yes than have you assume no.
If you would rather we handled the buying, we will talk that through too. Most clients prefer keeping the margin.
Tell us about your event.
Send us the date, the venue and the headcount. You'll get an itemized estimate, a custom cocktail menu and honest guidance — free, with nothing committed. Once you book, we send the shopping list: what to buy, what it should cost, and where to get it.
10% off for military and first responders. Free consultation, no obligation.