The Food Service Professional Guide to Controlling Liquor, Wine & Beverage Costs

Broad guidelines. You need to start somewhere. The following markup suggestions may help:
Cocktails, 3 1/2 - 4 times cost
Other liquor, 4 - 5 times cost
Beer, 2 1/2 - 3 times cost
Wine by the glass, 3 - 4 times cost
Carafe wine, 2 1/2 - 3 times cost
Dessert wines, 2 - 21/2 times cost

Random spot-checks. Introduce impromptu cash counts - by the manager. Keep bar staff on their toes!

• CVP Optimizer - available from several online software retailers, including ZD Net (www.zdnet.com), 32 Bit

www.32bit.com) and Virtual Software (www.virtualsoftware.com).

• Consider evaporation and spillage. When calculating a bottle’s cost per ounce, the secret is to deduct an ounce or two up front, before dividing, to allow for evaporation or spillage. Although this will slightly increase the cost per ounce, it will also give you a more realistic starting point.