In short
- The bar station goes with the aperitivo and the buffet. The open bar is usually the after-dinner party: keep them separate in the quote.
- A short drinks list, with bubbles, two or three cocktails and proper alcohol-free options, keeps the queue moving.
- Industry guides suggest about two bartenders per hundred guests.
- Food-grade ice, glasses, counter and water are items to get in writing.
The first thing a guest looks for on arriving in the garden is the bar. A glass in hand puts everyone at ease. The bar station accompanies the aperitivo and the buffet, and if it works badly it creates the longest queue of the day.
Bar station and open bar: what changes
| Bar station | Open bar | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Aperitivo, buffet, cocktail reception | After dinner, during the party |
| What people drink | Bubbles, wine, light cocktails, alcohol-free drinks | Cocktails, spirits, beer |
| Duration | As long as the aperitivo | Hours, often with a cost per extra hour |
| How it's priced | Often within the per-person price | Often separate, per person, by consumption or by the hour |
They can be the same counter with the same staff. In the quote, though, it's worth seeing them as two items, so you understand what is included. For formats, quantities and corkage after dinner, see the guide to the wedding open bar.
What to serve at the aperitivo bar
A short list works better than a long one. The bartender works faster and guests choose straight away.
- Bubbles: a traditional-method sparkling wine or an Italian spumante. It's the welcome drink.
- Wine: a fresh white and a light red. Lazio has suitable wines, such as Frascati and other whites from the Castelli. Read the guide to Lazio wines for events.
- Two or three cocktails: a spritz, a gin-based drink, a house cocktail.
- Freshly made alcohol-free drinks: lemonades, iced teas, juices, alcohol-free cocktails. Not just canned soft drinks.
- Water: still and sparkling, plenty of it, especially in summer.
A Roman idea: a cocktail with a local ingredient, such as an amaro or herbal liqueur from Lazio, or seasonal citrus. It costs little and gives the bar an identity.
Bartenders, queues and bar points
According to industry guides you need about two bartenders per hundred guests. It's a starting point: with crafted cocktails, many young guests or a short aperitivo, things take longer.
How to avoid queues:
- more bar points if there are many guests: one at the entrance for bubbles, one further in for cocktails;
- bubbles passed round by waiters on arrival, so the bar can focus on drinks;
- pre-batched drinks, mixed in advance, for the most popular cocktails;
- bar away from the entrance, so it doesn't block arriving guests.
For staffing ratios at each stage, read the guide on how many waiters you need.
Ice, glasses and equipment
These are the items people forget, and by the end of the day they make the difference.
- Ice: you need a lot, especially in summer. It must be food-grade ice, kept apart from the ice used to chill bottles. Ask who brings it and how much they plan.
- Glasses: flutes for bubbles and wine glasses, tumblers for cocktails. Glass looks better and guests prefer it. EU Directive 2019/904 on single-use plastics banned several items, such as cutlery, plates and straws: ask the caterer what they use and check the current rules.
- Counter: does the caterer bring it, or does it belong to the venue?
- Fridges and water: to keep bottles cool and wash equipment.
- Power: for fridges, ice machines, lights.
On a terrace in the centre, weight matters too: crates of bottles and ice go up in the lift. Read the guide to the terrace party.
Heat and plan B
In summer the bar station works twice as hard. In a garden in the Castelli or a farmhouse near Bracciano in July:
- put the bar in the shade, under a gazebo or a tree;
- double the water and alcohol-free drinks;
- plan spare ice;
- keep bottles in fridges, not in buckets in the sun.
If it rains, the bar has to move under cover with power. Ask the caterer and the venue where it would go.
The rules to know
We give them in general terms. Check the current wording in the official sources.
- Minors. Italian law forbids serving alcoholic drinks to anyone under 18 (Article 689 of the Criminal Code). The bartender must be able to say no.
- Driving. The Highway Code sets the limit at 0.5 g/l, and at zero for new drivers in their first three years and for anyone under 21 (Articles 186 and 186-bis). Proper alcohol-free drinks help those who are driving.
- Serving alcohol. A caterer serving alcohol must hold the right authorisation. If the bar is run by an outside supplier, ask who is responsible for it.
Allergens and drinks
Drinks have allergens too. Sulphites, found in wine, are among the 14 allergens in EU Regulation 1169/2011. Some liqueurs contain nuts or milk. Ask for a list of the cocktail ingredients.
How much to drink: an honest estimate
There is no official table of drinks per person. The estimate is approximate and depends on duration, season, the guests' ages and what follows. A useful rule of thumb: a 75 cl bottle fills about six 125 ml glasses. With the number of adult guests and the estimated glasses, you can check the bottles the caterer proposes. For the full method, read the guide on how much food per person.
Questions to ask the caterer
- Is the bar station included in the per-person price? What does it cover?
- Which sparkling wines, wines and cocktails do you offer? Can I see the labels?
- How many bartenders and how many bar points do you plan?
- Is ice included? How much do you bring?
- Glass or another material?
- Are there alcohol-free drinks made to order?
- How do you handle minors?
- Are the aperitivo bar and the open bar priced separately?
- Where does the bar go if it rains?
To finish
A bar station is judged by its queue: if it moves, the aperitivo works. To see how it fits with the food stations, read the guide to buffet food stations. For an evening aperitivo, look at the caterers offering apericena (an aperitivo substantial enough to replace dinner) on the apericena page, then request a quote with the bar and the open bar on separate lines.
Sources
- Directive (EU) 2019/904 on single-use plastics, EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019L0904
- Criminal Code, Article 689, and Highway Code, Articles 186 and 186-bis, Normattiva: https://www.normattiva.it
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R1169
