How Many Kegs Do We Need for Our Office? (Simple Headcount Math)
Use our simple formula to calculate exactly how many NA kegs your office needs per month based on headcount and drinking habits.
The simple formula: take your headcount, multiply by participation rate and drinks per week, and divide by 45 servings per keg.
Here's the step-by-step math so you can order with confidence.
The Formula
Monthly kegs = (Headcount × Participation Rate × Drinks/Week × 4.3) ÷ 45
- Headcount: Number of people in the office on a typical day
- Participation rate: What percentage will actually drink from the tap (typically 40-70%)
- Drinks per week: Average drinks per participating person (typically 2-4)
- 4.3: Weeks per month
- 45: Average servings per 1/6 barrel keg
Quick Reference Tables
Light Usage (2 drinks/person/week, 40% participation)
| Office Size | Participating | Weekly Drinks | Kegs/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 people | 6 | 12 | 1 |
| 25 people | 10 | 20 | 2 |
| 50 people | 20 | 40 | 4 |
| 75 people | 30 | 60 | 6 |
| 100 people | 40 | 80 | 8 |
Medium Usage (3 drinks/person/week, 55% participation)
| Office Size | Participating | Weekly Drinks | Kegs/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 people | 8 | 24 | 2 |
| 25 people | 14 | 42 | 4 |
| 50 people | 28 | 84 | 8 |
| 75 people | 41 | 123 | 12 |
| 100 people | 55 | 165 | 16 |
Heavy Usage (4 drinks/person/week, 70% participation)
| Office Size | Participating | Weekly Drinks | Kegs/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 people | 11 | 44 | 4 |
| 25 people | 18 | 72 | 7 |
| 50 people | 35 | 140 | 13 |
| 75 people | 53 | 212 | 20 |
| 100 people | 70 | 280 | 27 |
How to Estimate Your Usage Level
- Light: You're testing the concept, no draft culture yet, or team is mostly remote
- Medium: Some people are excited about it, moderate daily traffic to the tap
- Heavy: The tap is a known perk, high office attendance, team actively uses it daily
Our recommendation: Start with the light estimate, then adjust after the first month based on actual consumption. It's better to run out once and reorder than to overstock.
Tips for Getting It Right
1. Track your first keg: Note the date tapped and the date it kicks. This tells you your actual consumption rate.
2. Start with one flavor: See how fast it goes before adding a second tap
3. Factor in seasons: Summer consumption is typically 20-30% higher than winter
4. Account for events: If you host team lunches, all-hands, or Friday socials, those spike consumption
Rotation Strategy
Once you know your monthly volume:
- 1-2 kegs/month: Rotate flavors each keg - keep it interesting
- 3-5 kegs/month: Run 2 taps with different categories (e.g., hop water + sparkling tea)
- 6+ kegs/month: Consider our wholesale pricing for volume discounts
If you want help picking kegs and quantities for your office, Get Keg Pricing & Availability and we'll run the numbers with you.
