How many drinks per person for a meeting, a seminar or a cocktail reception?
Coffee, tea, juice, water: 1 cup per person for a 1-hour meeting, 3 glasses at a seminar, 4 at a cocktail reception. Thermoses, litres and budget for 10, 20 and 50 people.
Allow 1 hot drink per person for a one-hour meeting, 1.5 for a 3-hour seminar morning, and 3 to 4 cold drinks per person for a 2-hour cocktail reception. A 1 L thermos serves 6 cups, a litre of juice 5 glasses: the rest is arithmetic, detailed here for 10, 20 and 50 people with catalogue prices.
How many drinks should you plan per person depending on the format?
The quantity per person depends on the duration: 1 cup and 1 glass of water for a one-hour meeting, 1.5 cups and 3 cold glasses for a seminar morning, 4 cold glasses for a 2-hour cocktail reception. These benchmarks extend those in our guide drinks for an office breakfast.
| Format | Hot drink | Juice | Water | Alcohol-free sparkling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-hour meeting | 1 cup | 1 glass for 1 person in 2 | 1 glass | None |
| Seminar morning (3 h) | 1.5 cups | 1 glass | 2 glasses | None |
| 2-hour cocktail reception | Optional: 1 thermos for 12 people | 2 glasses | 1 glass | 1 flute |
How many cups, glasses and flutes in a thermos, a bottle or a jar?
A 1 L thermos gives 6 to 8 cups; calculate on 6 so you never run short. A litre of juice fills 5 glasses of 20 cl, a 75 cl bottle about 4 glasses of water, and a 75 cl bottle of 0% Chardonnay about 6 flutes. The full menu is on the drinks page.
| Drink | Volume | Servings | Price excl. VAT | Price per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermos of coffee or tea (Mariage Frères) | 1 L | 6 cups (6 to 8) | €19.50 | €3.25 |
| Juice (apple, orange, apple-raspberry) | 1 L | 5 glasses | €9.50 | €1.90 |
| Nectars (peach, strawberry, mango, passion fruit) | 1 L | 5 glasses | €10.50 | €2.10 |
| Evian or Badoit | 75 cl | 4 glasses | €4.80 | €1.20 |
| 0% Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay | 75 cl | 6 flutes | €16.90 | €2.82 |
| Infusion jar (lime and ginger, or passion fruit) | 10 L | 50 glasses | €59.90 | €1.20 |
How many drinks for a one-hour meeting?
For a one-hour meeting with 20 people, you need 4 thermoses (3 coffee, 1 tea), 2 L of juice and 5 bottles of 75 cl water, i.e. €121.00 excl. VAT excluding delivery, €6.05 excl. VAT per person. The rule: 1 thermos for 6 people, with 1 of tea for every 4 of coffee, 1 L of juice for 10 people, 1 bottle of water for 4.
| Headcount | Thermoses | Juice (1 L) | Water (75 cl) | Budget excl. VAT, €29 delivery included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 2 coffee | 1 | 3 | 39.00 + 9.50 + 14.40 + 29 = €91.90 |
| 20 people | 3 coffee, 1 tea | 2 | 5 | 78.00 + 19.00 + 24.00 + 29 = €150.00 |
| 50 people | 7 coffee, 2 tea | 5 | 13 | 175.50 + 47.50 + 62.40 + 29 = €314.40 |
For the lunch that follows, see how many lunch trays to order.
How many drinks for a 3-hour seminar morning?
For 20 people at a seminar morning, you need 5 thermoses (4 coffee, 1 tea), 4 L of juice and 10 bottles of water, i.e. €183.50 excl. VAT excluding delivery, €9.18 excl. VAT per person. The welcome and the break count as two services: 1.5 cups per person, i.e. 1 thermos for 4 people.
| Headcount | Thermoses | Juice (1 L) | Water (75 cl) | Budget excl. VAT, €29 delivery included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 2 coffee, 1 tea | 2 | 5 | 58.50 + 19.00 + 24.00 + 29 = €130.50 |
| 20 people | 4 coffee, 1 tea | 4 | 10 | 97.50 + 38.00 + 48.00 + 29 = €212.50 |
| 50 people | 10 coffee, 3 tea | 10 | 25 | 253.50 + 95.00 + 120.00 + 29 = €497.50 |
The budget for a full day, meals included, is in the corporate seminar budget per person.
How many drinks for a 2-hour cocktail reception?
For a 2-hour cocktail reception with 20 people, you need 4 bottles of 0% Chardonnay, 8 L of juice and 5 bottles of water, i.e. €167.60 excl. VAT excluding delivery, €8.38 excl. VAT per person. Allow 1 flute for the toast, 2 glasses of juice and 1 glass of water per person, i.e. 4 drinks.
| Headcount | 0% Chardonnay (75 cl) | Juice (1 L) | Water (75 cl) | Budget excl. VAT, €29 delivery included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 2 | 4 | 3 | 33.80 + 38.00 + 14.40 + 29 = €115.20 |
| 20 people | 4 | 8 | 5 | 67.60 + 76.00 + 24.00 + 29 = €196.60 |
| 50 people | 9 | 20 | 13 | 152.10 + 190.00 + 62.40 + 29 = €433.50 |
The flavours to choose and the alternatives to sparkling are in the guide to the alcohol-free corporate cocktail reception.
Can you do without bottled water?
Yes, if the office has a water fountain or jugs: remove the water column and the budget for a meeting of 20 people goes from €121.00 to €97.00 excl. VAT, i.e. €24.00 less. Keep the water with external guests, or in a room with no water point.
When should you replace thermoses and bottles with jars?
From 50 glasses to serve: a 10 L infusion jar at €59.90 excl. VAT fills 50 glasses of 20 cl, i.e. €1.20 per glass against €1.90 for bottled juice. For 50 people at a seminar, 10 L of juice (€95.00) give way to one jar (€59.90) and save €35.10. Above 60 people, thermoses become impractical.
What are the common mistakes with drink quantities?
- Taking one thermos for a whole team: a thermos serves 6 cups, not 20. For 20 people, you need 4.
- A single juice flavour: take two references, a classic juice and a more distinctive nectar.
- Calculating on invitees rather than attendees: count on the confirmed headcount, plus 10% if the list is uncertain.
- Underestimating seminar coffee: over 3 hours, the 2nd cup is the rule, not the exception.
- Ordering hot chocolate by default: it is ordered on request, for an afternoon break or for children.
- Having the drinks delivered separately: ordered with the platters, they go in the same €29 excl. VAT delivery.
How do you order the drinks for a meeting or a seminar?
Order until 2 pm the day before for delivery from 6:30 am, Monday to Friday. The minimum order is €50 excl. VAT, delivery €29 excl. VAT in Paris and nearby towns. Request your quote with the headcount and the format: reply within 24 hours.
L'Écrin Traiteur prices, October 2026.
Frequently asked questions about drink quantities per person
How many thermoses of coffee for 20 people in a meeting?
For a one-hour meeting with 20 people, plan 4 thermoses: 3 of coffee and 1 of tea. A 1 L thermos serves 6 cups and costs €19.50 excl. VAT, i.e. €78.00 excl. VAT for the four. For a 3-hour seminar, allow 5 thermoses, i.e. €97.50 excl. VAT.
How many litres of juice per person?
A litre fills 5 glasses of 20 cl. Allow 1 glass for 1 person in 2 in a one-hour meeting, 1 glass per person for a seminar morning, 2 glasses at a cocktail reception. For 20 people: 2 L, 4 L or 8 L, at €9.50 excl. VAT per litre for a classic juice.
How many drinks per person for a 2-hour cocktail reception?
Allow 4 drinks per person: 1 flute of 0% Chardonnay, 2 glasses of juice and 1 glass of water. For 20 people, that makes 4 bottles of Chardonnay at €16.90 excl. VAT, 8 L of juice and 5 bottles of water, i.e. €167.60 excl. VAT excluding delivery.
How much do the drinks for a meeting of 20 people cost?
About €121.00 excl. VAT excluding delivery, i.e. €6.05 excl. VAT per person: €78.00 of thermoses, €19.00 of juice and €24.00 of water. With the €29 excl. VAT delivery, the total is €150.00 excl. VAT. Without bottled water, the budget drops to €97.00 excl. VAT.
How many glasses in a bottle of juice or water?
A one-litre bottle of juice fills 5 glasses of 20 cl. A 75 cl bottle of water fills about 4 glasses, a 75 cl bottle of 0% Chardonnay about 6 flutes. A 1 L thermos gives 6 to 8 cups: calculate on 6.
From how many people should you choose jars?
From 50 glasses to serve. A 10 L infusion jar at €59.90 excl. VAT serves 50 glasses of 20 cl, i.e. €1.20 per glass against €1.90 for bottled juice. Above 60 people, thermoses become impractical and the jar is self-service.
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