Pour cost
Also called: beverage cost · liquor cost
Pour cost is beverage cost divided by beverage sales, the bar's equivalent of food cost percentage. Spirits typically run 15–20%, beer 20–25%, and wine 30–40% — which is why the blended number tells you almost nothing without the category split behind it.
Formula
Pour cost % = Beverage COGS ÷ Beverage sales × 100
| Category | Common target | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Spirits | 15–20% | High markup per ounce; the volume driver of bar profit |
| Draft beer | 20–25% | Keg yield and foam loss are the swing factors |
| Bottled beer | 22–28% | No yield loss, but less pricing room |
| Wine by the glass | 28–35% | Bottle yield and oxidation waste |
| Wine by the bottle | 33–45% | Priced on absolute margin, not percentage |
Worked example · Costing an Old Fashioned
- Bourbon, 2 oz from a $28 750ml bottle
- $2.21
- Demerara syrup, 0.25 oz
- $0.06
- Bitters, 2 dashes
- $0.04
- Orange peel + ice
- $0.14
- Total drink cost
- $2.45
- Menu price
- $15.00
- Pour cost
- 16.3%
A 750ml bottle holds 25.4 oz, so a 2 oz pour is 12.7 pours per bottle — before spill and free-pour drift.
The free-pour gap
A bartender free-pouring a nominal 2 oz will average closer to 2.3 oz under service pressure. That is a 15% overpour, and it lands directly on pour cost: the drink above goes from 16.3% to 18.5% without a single price or purchasing change. Jiggers, measured pourers, or a portioning system close it — see free pour vs. jigger.
Run the numbers
Pour cost calculator
Related terms
COGS (cost of goods sold)
The cost of the food and beverage actually consumed in a period, computed from inventory rather than from purchases.
Food cost percentage
The share of a dish's menu price consumed by the ingredients on the plate.
Free pour vs. jigger
Pouring by eye versus by measure — a difference that shows up directly in pour cost.