Bar Pour Cost and Menu Pricing Sheet

What a good one includes

• A detailed breakdown of every liquid ingredient in a recipe, measured down to the exact ounce or milliliter.
• Allocation for garnishes, bitters, custom ice, and packaging elements that are often overlooked but eat into margins.
• A built-in calculator that automatically converts bulk bottle or keg wholesale prices into single-pour unit costs.
• Clear target pour cost percentage markers—typically aiming for 18% to 24%—to instantly flag underpriced items.
• A built-in buffer percentage to account for spills, free tastings, and over-pouring waste.
• A side-by-side comparison of the mathematically ideal menu price against your actual menu price to highlight profit gaps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting to calculate the cost of garnishes like fresh lime wheels, berries, or custom brandied cherries which can add up to fifty cents per drink.
• Failing to update the master sheet when distributors raise wholesale prices, leading to outdated menu pricing and eroded margins.
• Relying on a flat pricing model across the entire menu instead of balancing low-margin crowd-pleasers with high-margin house specialties.
• Ignoring the cost of draft beer foam and line cleaning waste when calculating keg yields.

Frequently asked questions