Bar Inventory Template

A bar inventory is a physical count of every bottle behind the bar and in storage, valued at what you paid for it. Done on the same day each week, it is the only way to know your liquor usage — how much product actually left the shelf — and compare it with what the POS says you sold. The difference is over-pouring, comps that were never rung in, spillage or theft.

The tenths method is the fastest: hold the bottle up and estimate how much is left in tenths of the bottle, so 0.7 means seven tenths remain. It is quick enough to do every week and accurate enough to spot a trend, but two people will read the same bottle slightly differently, so the same person should count each week.

Weighing open bottles on a scale is more precise. You record the weight of a full and an empty bottle of each product once, then the scale reading converts to ounces left. It takes longer, which is why many bars weigh monthly and use tenths in between. For reference, a 750 ml bottle holds about 25.4 fluid ounces and a liter about 33.8.

The count on its own is a snapshot. Usage needs two counts and your purchases:

Worked example with the sample sheet: last week ended at $520.00, this week's liquor deliveries were $380.00, and tonight's count is $476.43. Usage is $520.00 + $380.00 − $476.43 = $423.57. If the POS shows $2,100 in liquor sales for the week, pour cost is $423.57 ÷ $2,100 = 20.2%. Our pour cost calculator explains the target bands and how to price each drink to hit them.

1. List every product in shelf order, the way you walk the bar.
2. Enter bottle size and your current invoice cost per bottle.
3. Count full bottles, then open bottles in tenths. Include storage and the well.
4. Print the sheet and file it; next week's count starts from this ending value.
5. Run usage and pour cost by category to find where the variance sits.