Ratio of Diet vs. Regular Pop for Party

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Just to add to the mix of opinions:

I always end up with about half of the diet that I buy. I guess very few people drink the diet, and if they do, they also want caffeine free or fruit flavored or something else. So having Zero doesn't work for those that want "diet." And having diet doesn't work for those wanting "Zero."

My thoughts? Buy what you buy. They can always drink water if they don't like what you have.

 

[NotUrsula]

Any time an event includes children; up the drink supply by 50% for however many kids you expect. (Yes, kids actually do drink more than adults do at outdoor events. They play hard and they get thirsty.) Also for kids, provide caffeine-free. (Kids don't prefer caffeine-free, but their parents often limit them to it.)

If you have water coolers, make sure to hang cups on them in a way that insures that stacks don't get knocked down. (plastic netting like oranges come in works great!) If your coolers normally use paper cones, provide 16-20 oz. cups for the event.

If your crowd is predominantly female, demand for diet soft drinks will normally be higher than for regular. "Hipster crowd" young adults are more likely to want flavored water/teas and such than mass-market soft drinks, but usually prefer beer over any soft drink if you are serving beer.

 

[bethy]

Here it would be almost no pop (soda). And definitely no diet pop. I would do a few cokes (with the real sugar them haha) and some fancy rootbeers and ginger ale. And then bottled water - plain, sparkling and flavored like La Croix. And maybe some good lemonade.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Any time an event includes children; up the drink supply by 50% for however many kids you expect. (Yes, kids actually do drink more than adults do at outdoor events. They play hard and they get thirsty.) Also for kids, provide caffeine-free. (Kids don't prefer caffeine-free, but their parents often limit them to it.)

If you have water coolers, make sure to hang cups on them in a way that insures that stacks don't get knocked down. (plastic netting like oranges come in works great!) If your coolers normally use paper cones, provide 16-20 oz. cups for the event.

If your crowd is predominantly female, demand for diet soft drinks will normally be higher than for regular. "Hipster crowd" young adults are more likely to want flavored water/teas and such than mass-market soft drinks, but usually prefer beer over any soft drink if you are serving beer.

Also, kids tend to waste more than adults. They set down the drink, walk away and never come back. They just grab another drink.

 

[aprilchem]

I think it really depends on the audience. When I plan events (for my audience, which is college students and professors) I don't buy soda. The students don't drink it at all - they drink water or sparkling water. IME young people don't consume a lot of soda.

 

[CheekyRose]

I don't drink regular pop. Every event I go to, literally every event, from big public events to small get-togethers in someone's house, by halfway through the event, there is nothing but sugared pop left. The diet pop, sparkling waters, bottled water, lemonade, etc is always gone first. Obviously I don't know how much of each everyone ordered, but I think people overestimate how many people drink regular pop.

 

[tvguy]

Here, we would do 2/3 regular soda (50/50 caffeine vs non), and the remaining 1/3 split evenly between tea, lemonade, & diet soda.

The caffeinated versus non-caffeinated would be a consideration at my place. And a lot of folks at my place don't drink diet soda. We do pretty well with 1/4 regular cola, 1/4 root beer, 1/8 diet root beer and 1/8 diet cola and a case of water. We always have bottled water on hand for crews working out in the heat. And we have quarterly lunches so they always over buy sodas and just save the overage for the next lunch.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

At my workplace, the regular sodas are the ones left. Diet sodas and water are most popular.

I was going to say for 160 under the circumstances you've described, I'd probably get 180 and expect some will be left over.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'd buy more of all kinds than you think you need, keep the receipts and return the unopened 12 packs or cases if you don't think the extras will get used soon.

I'd also get some bottled waters and something like Sprite/7Up because not everyone who likes soda wants cola.

 

[smokeyblue]

OP here. I know you want an update on the pop situation. Bought 18 12 packs and two 36 pack waters. Of 6 coke 1 was left, of 3 sprite 1 left, of 3 Fanta 1 left of 6 coke zero 3 left and only used half a case of water.

Feel pretty good with my choices. Too much diet for this crew (industrial site, 97% male) but it's my fav and one of the other ladies like it too so we'll have pop with lunch for a few weeks.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't drink regular pop. Every event I go to, literally every event, from big public events to small get-togethers in someone's house, by halfway through the event, there is nothing but sugared pop left. The diet pop, sparkling waters, bottled water, lemonade, etc is always gone first. Obviously I don't know how much of each everyone ordered, but I think people overestimate how many people drink regular pop.

Exact opposite here - we always lean heavy on regular soda, and yet if there’s anything untouched at the end of the day, it’s the diet soda and/or the lemonade. When it’s my turn to buy drinks, diet is the only thing I buy in single servings (2L bottles for the rest) because it never goes away.