My portable bar has been invaluable and has paid for itself many times over. Last Saturday night I took my portable bar all the way to Hesperia in the high desert of San Bernardino County. I bartended a birthday party and was pretty busy making drinks for approximately 100 guests. I was a bit worried, because it was one of the hottest days of the summer, but once the sun went down it wasn’t so bad.
This event was booked by another bartender friend of mine and she wasn’t able to do it, so she called me. She and I will be doing several events together over the next couple of months. I was happy to take the event, though I don’t usually seek jobs in the Hesperia/Victorville area. I drove the back way in through Palmdale and across the desert. It is a very scenic drive, if you have never done it. When I arrived in Hesperia the temperature was 104, and the wind felt like a blast furnace.
My portable bar is nothing special. It is what I can carry in my Mustang. It takes literally two minutes to set up, and then I have a folding table with a table cloth that I set next to the portable bar. I put all of the bottles and glassware on the table and I serve off of the portable bar. I have done all kinds of events with this portable bar set up, from Bellaire to Bakersfield and never once has somebody said, “What the hell is that? Get that thing out of here!” That is also why I only charge $35 for the bar.
I served many Bloody Mary’s, Micheladas, Margaritas, and Mai Tais. The guests self served their beers, which was fine with me, because 100 guests is a lot for one bartender. I handled it. Toward the end I was pouring a lot of shots. The host had purchased some special Jager Bomb shot glasses, and they worked great. I certainly made good use of them as I served a whole 1.75 ltr bottle of Jagermeister, and small case of Red Bull.
So far I don’t have an event scheduled for this weekend, and I hope I will still get one. Many people wait until the last minute, and also bartender drop out for one reason or another. I have never cancelled an event, but I can see legitimate reasons for doing that. I have been on my way to events, and barely escaped serious accidents, thanks to reckless drivers.
I do have many events already booked in September and October, so I am not overly concerned about this little lull. I know the competition is getting tougher, and I will have to work as hard as I did in the beginning to keep the business going. I admit, I have been a little complacent lately. Shaken not Stirred: Have portable bar, will travel.
Shaken Not Stirred in LA 