Drinks GP Calculator
Work out what to charge for every pint, glass and measure, and exactly how much gross profit you make on each one. Built for UK pubs, bars and restaurants.
Liquid Market GP
Beer & cider GP calculator
For draught beer and cider in kegs and casks. Enter what you pay, pick your sizes, and set the GP you want.
Prices to charge include VAT. GP is worked out on the price without VAT, because the VAT isn't yours to keep.
GP achieved
Profit per pint
Keg - 11 gallon (50L) · Pint (568ml) · to the nearest penny
Cost per pint
£1.70
Servings per keg
88
Gross profit per keg
£183.04
Takings per keg (inc VAT)
£399.65
Check a price you already charge
Enter your price per pint to see the GP it actually makes.
GP at that price
How to work out GP on drinks
Gross profit (GP) is the share of each sale you keep once the drink is paid for. It's the number that decides whether a busy night is a profitable one.
Find your cost per serving
Divide what you pay for the keg, cask or bottle (without VAT) by the servings it gives you. An 11-gallon keg pours 88 pints, so at £150 a keg each pint costs you £1.70.
Take the VAT off your price
VAT goes to HMRC, so GP is worked out on what's left. At 20% VAT, a £5.50 pint is £4.58 to you.
Divide the profit by that price
£4.58 less the £1.70 it cost leaves £2.88 gross profit. £2.88 ÷ £4.58 = a GP of 62.9%.
The GP formula
GP% = (price without VAT − cost per serving) ÷ price without VAT × 100
Pricing to a target GP
Price = cost per serving ÷ (1 − target GP) × 1.2
For 60% GP on a £1.70 pint: £1.70 ÷ 0.4 × 1.2 = £5.10, with VAT at 20%.
Drinks GP questions
How do you calculate GP on drinks?
Take the VAT off your selling price, subtract what the serving cost you, and divide what's left by the price without VAT. A pint that costs you £1.70 and sells for £5.50 (£4.58 without VAT) makes £2.88 gross profit: a GP of 62.9%.
What GP should a pub aim for?
It depends on your venue, your prices and what you sell most of, but as a rough guide many UK pubs and bars work to around 55-60% on draught beer and cider, 65-70% on wine, 70-80% on spirits and 75% or more on soft drinks. Your overall drinks GP is the blend of all of them.
Is GP calculated before or after VAT?
After it's taken off. The VAT in your prices isn't yours to keep, so GP is worked out on the selling price without VAT. At the standard 20% rate, divide the price on the bar by 1.2 to get that figure.
What's the difference between GP and markup?
Markup compares your profit with what you paid; GP compares it with what you sell for. The £5.50 pint above has a markup of about 170% but a GP of 62.9%. Price to a markup when you mean a GP and you'll undercharge: a 60% markup is only a 37.5% GP.
How many pints are in a keg?
An 11-gallon (50 litre) keg holds 88 pints, a 30-litre keg about 52, and a 9-gallon firkin cask 72. You'll pour a few less once line cleaning and wastage are taken into account, so it's worth allowing for that when you set your GP.
How many measures are in a bottle of spirits?
A 70cl bottle gives 28 single 25ml measures, 20 measures of 35ml, or 14 doubles of 50ml. A 1-litre bottle gives 40 singles.
How many glasses of wine are in a bottle?
A 75cl bottle pours six 125ml glasses, just over four 175ml glasses, or three 250ml glasses.
Better GP starts with what you pay
You can raise your prices, or lower what you pay for the drinks. With Liquid Market, every eligible wholesaler quotes for your drinks list anonymously, so a better buying price lifts your GP without touching the price on the bar.
Join the Launch List