Tag: Altadena

Mobile Bartenders, Party Bartenders, Uncategorized

Acton Labor Day Weekend Party

shakennotstirredinla
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Wild flowers in Acton

On Sunday, after doing a big wedding in New Cuyama, I drove back to LA and then to Acton to bartend a Labor Day weekend party. In many parts of the country, Labor Day weekend signifies the end of summer; in Southern California, we usually have a few more weeks to go. This summer in Los Angeles it has not been that hot, and it even got a little chilly on Sunday after the sun went down.

This particular party in Acton was a family pool party, and family members had come in from all over the country to attend. As I talked to some of the guests from other parts of the country, I felt very grateful to be living in Southern California because of the opportunities we have here and of course the weather. There are many benefits to living here, but of course there are many cons as well. I obviously think the benefits outweigh the cons, at least for now.

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A “guest” relaxes on the lawn at Acton Labor Day Party

I made blended margaritas, Bay Breeze, and a few other drinks. One of the guests was a former bartender and he invented a drink while I was there he called the “Nicky.” The Nicky has rum, banana liqueur, cranberry juice, splash of pineapple, and a splash of triple sec. A drink like that is too sweet for my tastes, but many of the guests liked it. The Banana liqueur, 99 Bananas, is 99 proof by the way, so don’t let its sweet taste fool you.  

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Family and friends enjoy Labor Day Weekend in Acton

Labor Day Weekend Party Ideas

  • Hire a bartender
  • Invite a wide range of people
  • Music makes the party
  • Serve great food

Lorraine’s Catering (818) 233-4647 provided the food and they made some great meat quesadillas and tacos. I know many of the taco vendors make cheese quesadillas, but most have know meat in them. Lorraine’s pork quesadilla was a real treat and I saw many people going back for seconds. Lorraine actually hired me to bartend a party for her in October and paid me a deposit on the spot. Always love when I book other parties while doing a party.

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Shots!

This coming weekend I will be traveling to Altadena on Friday night to bartend a 25th birthday party, and I will be making 90’s themed cocktails, and then on Saturday I will be returning to Acton to provide bartending services at a backyard wedding. I have to promote my social media better, so please like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Birthday Party Bartender, Wedding Bartender

Altadena Surprise Party and Bakersfield Wedding

shakennotstirredinla
Getting "surprised"
Getting “surprised”

Friday started the weekend in Altadena for Shaken Not Stirred, where I traveled to bartend for a surprise party. The father hired me for his son’s 35th birthday surprise birthday, and it was martini themed party.  Friends and family gathered in the backyard, while the one of the birthday boy’s friends took him out to distract him long enough for us to get ready. I think he was truly surprised and overwhelmed when he did arrive.

I made Manhattans, dirty vodka martinis, gin martinis, and Lemon Drops. I brought my own martini glasses and they had several. It is always a pleasure for me to make martinis and serve them in real glassware. The presentation is just so much nicer. The birthday boy’s father manned the barbeque and made some killer trip tip.

Guests enjoying martinis in Altadena
Guests enjoying martinis in Altadena

For this job, I did all the shopping . It is a service I offer for a fee. I will buy everything you need, including all the alcohol, mixers, cups, straws, napkins and ice. I require an up front deposit for this, plus the service charge. People have trusted me with hundreds of dollars for this and I have never done them wrong. I have an excellent reputation and don’t want to jeopardize it one bit.

Saturday, I traveled to Bakersfield for my second wedding in Kern County. I also did the shopping for this wedding, and spent most of my day Saturday getting all the supplies together for a 100 person wedding. The wedding was held at the Junior League of Bakersfield. It is a historic building in downtown Bakersfield. I set up my portable bar in the corner of the dining room.

I served Mojitos, Margaritas, and various vodka drinks to the guests.  When serving Mojitos to a large crowd like this, I make a large batch, and serve them that way. I also get several drinks ready as the ceremony is taking place, so that when everybody rushes in afterward, I can make the line go fast. It is ideal to have a barback, but I handled the 100 person  Bakersfield wedding by myself just fine.

Junior League of Bakersfield wedding
Junior League of Bakersfield wedding

Everything went pretty well until the last five minutes, when friends and family were cleaning up the dining room. Some drama broke out among some of the guests outside. The bride looked at me and rolled her eyes, “We almost made it without something like that happening. We almost made it,” she said.  It seems that machismo and alcohol don’t always mix. Believe me, nobody knows that better than me. Kevin Rush was the DJ and he helped to diffuse the situation. I can see that he is a true pro and dealing with situations like that, and also did a very good job of DJing and running the wedding program for the night.

This weekend I have an engagement party in Porter Ranch, and then a Fourth of July party coming up in Orange County.  I still have a few dates open in July, so book your parties now.

Shots!
Shots!