BEACON&BARREL

Free pour and bottle planner

Free whiskey tasting calculator.
Plan every pour.

Calculate pour sizes and bottle quantities, build a balanced whiskey or whisky flight, and find printable tasting tools—no signup required.

Calculate my tasting

No signup. Nothing saved. For adults of legal drinking age.

Free whiskey pour calculator

Calculate pours and bottles for your tasting.

Enter your guest count, flight size, pour size, and bottle size. The calculator adds a practical 10% setup buffer and rounds each distinct whiskey to whole bottles.

Pour size per whiskey
Bottle size

Method: guests × pour size × 29.5735 for each whiskey, plus a 10% setup buffer; then round to whole bottles per whiskey. See the bottle-capacity table and full pour guide →

Made for thoughtful hosts — clear bottle math, source-linked safety guidance, and transparent editorial standards.

01 Plan your pours → 02 Print your cards → 03 Host with confidence
Cover of the Beacon & Barrel printable whiskey tasting kit14 print-ready pages

The $9 Tasting Night Kit

The plan behind a night people remember.

Turn the calculator into a complete host system: flight builder, bottle worksheet, shopping list, table map, read-aloud script, flavor prompts, scorecards, blind labels, reveal board, and a responsible-hosting plan.

  • Instant PDF delivery
  • Print only the pages you need
  • Reusable for personal tasting nights
See everything inside

The Host’s Shelf

A smaller shop for better nights.

Useful glassware, bar tools, and books selected for a clear job—not because an algorithm called them bestsellers.

GlasswareGlencairn

Whisky Glasses — Set of 4

Four official Glencairn tasting glasses in a gift carton, with matching shapes for a fair side-by-side comparison.

Best for
A first four-person tasting set, or one glass per guest when you plan to rinse between rounds.
Think twice if
The Amazon listing is inconsistent about dishwasher care. Hand-washing is the cautious choice, and four glasses will not hold an entire four-pour flight for four guests.
See the four-pack on AmazonDetails checked September 9, 2026. Prices, availability, delivery, and policies can change.
IceTrue Cubes

Clear Ice Cube Maker

A directional-freezing mold that makes four large two-inch clear cubes for Old Fashioneds and other slow-sipping drinks.

Best for
A planned cocktail night where the ice is part of the presentation and four cubes are enough for one round.
Think twice if
It occupies meaningful freezer space, makes only four cubes at a time, and generally needs most of a day to freeze.
See the clear-ice maker on AmazonDetails checked September 9, 2026. Prices, availability, delivery, and policies can change.
LearnLew Bryson

Whiskey Master Class

A hardcover guide organized around production choices, flavor, and the differences among Scotch, bourbon, rye, and other styles.

Best for
A curious drinker who wants to understand why whiskeys taste different rather than memorize brand trivia.
Think twice if
It is instructional rather than decorative, which makes it a weaker fit for someone who only wants a coffee-table book.
See the book on AmazonDetails checked September 9, 2026. Prices, availability, delivery, and policies can change.

Browse the complete Host’s Shelf →

Start free

A scorecard with room for actual thoughts.

No email wall. Download the printable, use it tonight, and decide later whether the full kit would help.

Get the free scorecard →
Preview of the free printable Beacon & Barrel whiskey tasting scorecard

Practical guides

Less lore. Better hosting.

Each guide answers one question you are likely to face before the doorbell rings.

01

How to host a whiskey tasting

A complete first-night plan from theme to reveal.

Read the guide →02

Run a blind whiskey tasting

Fair bottle choices, simple labels, independent notes, and a clean reveal.

Read the guide →03

Calculate the pour size

Ounces, bottle capacity, and standard-drink context.

Read the guide →04

Build a better order

Protect quieter pours by moving from gentle to bold.

Read the guide →05

Choose a palate cleanser

Water, neutral bites, allergies, and what to save for later.

Read the guide →06

Choose a better whiskey gift

Useful picks by budget for hosts, cocktail makers, and collectors.

Read the guide →

Browse all whiskey tasting guides →

Our standard

Useful enough to trust. Small enough to maintain.

No invented tasting notes.We do not pretend software has tasted a bottle.

No hidden commission links.Commercial relationships sit next to the recommendation.

No fear or drinking games.The site treats responsible hosting as part of the plan.

Quick answers

Before you pour.

How many whiskeys should I include?

Three or four is a useful first flight. Five can work with half-ounce pours and an unhurried pace. The at-home tasting guide walks through the complete setup.

How many bottles do I need?

Use the calculator above. It calculates what each whiskey must supply, adds a 10% host buffer, rounds each whiskey up to whole bottles, and then totals the flight. The pour-size guide includes a 700 mL, 750 mL, and 1-liter capacity table.

Does food or time make someone safe to drive?

No. The calculator is for supplies, not impairment. Use the responsible-hosting checklist and arrange an unimpaired driver, ride, transit, or overnight stay before the tasting begins.

Does Beacon & Barrel sell alcohol?

No. We do not sell or ship alcohol. Some guides link to independent retailers that set eligibility, pricing, delivery, and adult-signature requirements.