Brentwood – Shaken Not Stirred in LA

Last weekend I traveled to Palm Springs to bartend a 40th birthday party at the boutique Wesley Hotel. The host had rented the entire hotel for the occasion and invited 40 of his friends to celebrate his wife’s birthday. The weather was perfect for a barbecue and pool party and I think everyone had a great time.

The host wanted somebody to grill hamburgers and hotdogs, and I recruited one of my bartenders, Josh who lives out there to do it. I was a little worried about it, because even though I have grilled steaks for a group of 15 ladies at a bachelorette party, this was a much bigger affair. Josh pulled it off and did an excellent job.

I recommended a DJ who I had worked with before, Play It Again Socal, out of Riverside. The noise ordinances are very strict in Palm Springs, and I was sure that somebody would complain and the cops would shut the music down. Fortunately, that never happened, and I think it is because the Wesley Hotel is away from residential areas.

40th Birthday Party Ideas

Rent an entire hotel and invite your closest friends
Hire a bartender and griller
Have a DJ
Hire strippers!
Serve good drinks and food

One cop did show up though, but he turned out to be a male stripper. He had me fooled for a minute there. I served Pina Coladas, Spicy Jalapeno Margaritas, Cucumber Moscow Mules, and a bunch of shots and beers. Josh served all of the burgers there were and a ton of hotdogs.
I will be returning to Palm Springs again this weekend to bartend a wedding at the La Chureya Estate. Later on this month I have gigs in Brentwood, Corona, and sky Valley among others. Please follow us on Instagram.

Uncategorized, Wedding Bartender

Three Day Wedding Event at the Galvan Estate

April 4, 2018 shakennotstirredinla

galvan1 — Father walks bride to her wedding at the Galvan Estate

Last weekend I provided bartending services for three days at the Galvan Estate in Palm Springs. I arrived on Thursday night to bartend the rehearsal dinner, showed up again Friday for the wedding, and then wound up the weekend bartending the pool party on Saturday. It was my third time doing an event at the beautiful Galvan estate.

The hosts of the wedding were from Winnipeg, Canada, and most of the guests had either flown in or driven from there. They say it a 33 hour drive from Palm Springs to Winnipeg. Westjet offers direct flights to Palm Springs from various destinations in Canada. As I am learning, Palm Springs is a favorite destination for Canadians. One of the guests at this event flew all the way from Thailand.

The rehearsal dinner was a breeze and I served a lot of red and white wine, beer, and simple mixed drinks. The next day for the wedding, I brought in an extra helper. We made two signature drinks for the arriving wedding guests. So I made 40 drinks in about fifteen minutes before the ceremony. Later we prepared just as many glasses of champagne for the toast. Everything was smooth sailing from then on.

Galvan Estate Wedding

Heated pool
Large wet bar outside
Another bar inside
Large area for ceremony
Big outside dining area
Gas barbecue grill

For the pool party we had a keg, and I served blended margaritas. It was a very nice crowd to serve for three days, and everybody seemed to have a good time. I had another wedding going on in Lake View Terrace that night, and I send another bartender to do that one. Once the pool party was over I drove back to LA and stopped by that wedding to help out a bit.

galvan2 — Groom and groomsmen share cigars

This weekend I am returning to Palm Springs to bartend an all day pool party. I have events coming up later this month in Westwood, Brentwood, and Stevenson Ranch. Please follow Shaken Not Stirred on Instagram.

House warming bartenders

Shaken Not Stirred: James Bond Theme Party in Brentwood

March 15, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

“Shaken Not Stirred,” is a phrase coined by James Bond, and I felt it was the perfect name for my bartending company. Last night I bartended a housewarming party in Brentwood that was attended by approximately 70 guests. Many of the party guests were dressed in full Bong regalia. I wore white shirt and bow tie in honor of the occasion.

The host wanted real glassware, and I brought the glass rentals. I like using real glasses, especially for Martinis. A few glasses got broken at this party. I think real glassware is better at some parties than others. This house was five levels, so real glassware was a little problematic.

I poured many gin martinis, “Shaken Not Stirred.” Manhattans were also popular. I poured Fireball and tequila shots all night until two in the morning. We served completely out of whisky, champagne, and white wine. It seems that everybody had a good time and didn’t get too out of hand.

Today, I am finishing a corporate project I am doing. I have to put labels on 300 pre-made drinks. Tomorrow I will deliver them to Palm Springs, and I have rented a truck for that. Next weekend I am helping one of my associate bartenders with a wedding that she booked. It is kind of nice to have a break from be responsible for everything.

The final weekend of the month I will be busy with two parties in Palm Springs, and then a wedding in Santa Ynez, that my son will help me with.

Wedding Bartender

Palm Springs Wedding Canadian Style

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

Friday, Shaken Not Stirred was the chosen bartending service in Palm Springs at a wedding reception where the bride and groom were from Canada, as were all of their guests. The wedding participants and guests were all happy to have a brief reprieve of the brutal cold of Calgary, Alberta. I know what that is like, growing up in Wyoming. Especially, in March, when you live up north, any escape from the cold weather is certainly something to look forward to.

I learned something new as I bartended this wedding. Virtually every person who ordered a drink, ordered it as a “press”. A press, in bar terminology means with water added. I was serving Canadian Club, and people would say, “I’ll have a rye and coke press,” In American English, that means a whiskey and coke with water. The Canadians want more water than coke added. The same goes for vodka drinks – a screwdriver, for instance, is also ordered as a press.

I told some of the guests that Americans would never go for this. They would send their drinks back as “watered down.” The Canadian wedding guests told me it is a sure fire way to avoid hangovers. I don’t know about that, but it can’t hurt. It was a hot March day in Palm springs, so I think the Canadians got their money’s worth of warm weather by coming to Southern California.

Make that a "press" — Make that a “press”

There was a photographer, Alan Gough at the party who is also originally from Canada. I wasn’t to mention him, because I think his service was outstanding. He shot pictures the entire day at the wedding, then quickly edited the pictures and put on a slide show, complete with music at the end of the event. No waiting around for weeks with this guy for edited photos. The guests loved his presentation, and the photos were great. His company is called and here is a link to his website.

After I post this, I will start getting ready for a James Bond themed house warming party in Brentwood this evening. I am bringing glassware rentals to the party and will be serving real martinis. I always like real glassware for that reason. I can get all kinds of glassware for your party for roughly $1 a glass. On Monday, I am traveling back to Palm Springs to complete a special corporate project I was contracted to do. I will be delivering 300 premade drinks to a conference at the Palm Springs Marriott.

Mobile Bartenders, Party Bartenders

Off the Hook Bash in Wilmington

March 8, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

Saturday Night, Shaken Not Stirred was contracted to provide bartending services at a party in Wilmington, just adjacent to the docks of the Port of Los Angeles. This was my first event in Wilmington, and I hope the first of many. Wilmington gets a bad wrap around town as a tough area, but I must say the neighborhood where the party was held was quite charming, and tucked away from the chaos of Los Angeles. At this particular party four bands performed until two in the morning.

I set up my portable bar in the back yard and was open for business. I served the usual vodka drinks, including Screwdrivers, Cape Cods, Sea Breeze. I also served whiskey drinks, wine and they had a half keg on hand. By the end of the night there was literally nothing left, except for a couple bottles of Riesling. One guy walked up to me with a half cup full of whisky and coke, and asked if there was anything left. I had a half bottle of red wine open, and he told me to pour it on – on top of the whiskey and coke.

As I was breaking down, the South Bay band, June Holiday was still playing. Gary Dayton Hill of Malibu warmed up the crowd with some country songs, he was followed by South Gate band, The Night Times played a few numbers, then another band was on, that I didn’t get the name of because I was so busy. A DJ spun a great mix between sets, and I must say the entertainment was top notch all evening. This had to be the most memorable party I have ever done.

I am a very busy mobile bartender this month of March. I have events in Palm Springs, and Brentwood next weekend, and then am returning to Palm Springs again on Monday to do a special event for Torani, the Italian Syrup company. I am getting some of these events because I have excellent reviews on Thumbtack, Yelp, and Gig Salad. I have made some mistakes as a party planner and bartender, but have never been late or cancelled a gig, and I have always gotten the job done.

In other news, I will put in a plug for my novel, “Palm Avenue,” and I need some likes on the Facebook page. The 200^th person to like the page will receive a free book. The spring party and wedding season is booking up quickly, so I suggest you book your event now.

Video

Shaken Not Stirred

January 30, 2012June 21, 2012 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred is now serving the greater Los Angeles area, providing bartenders and servers for all kinds of private and corporate events. The company can provide professional bartenders with many years of experience to bartend your party, company event, wedding, or barbecue. Servers are also available to help serve hors d’ oeuvres and clean up while the party is in progress. Our goal is to be of maximum service to hosts, so their time at the event is stress free and enjoyable.

We recommend that you book bartenders and staff at least 3o minutes to one hour before the guests arrive to insure proper set up time. Set up of a bar includes organized the bottles and applying the pourers, setting up the ice and preparing the garnishes, and tapping the keg if necessary. Our bartenders have done many parties and are adaptable to many different situations. We will not send inexperienced bartenders that will panic.

For events with more than 60 guests we recommend booking two bartenders, or at least one bartender and a server. You can see what we recommend when purchasing your supplies here. We can buy supplies for you if everything is arranged in advance. Standard attire for bartenders includes white shirt, black pants and black bowtie, but you can specify black shirt, or Hawaiian shirt and shorts depending upon the type of event. Male and female bartenders are available.

To book a bartender in for your event in the greater Los Angeles area, including the San Fernando Valley, Canyon Country, the South Bay, Orange County, Palm Springs, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Thousand Oaks, Malibu, Santa Monica, Culver City, and the Inland Empire call (310) 280-6103, or email here.

In L.A. , Shaken Not Stirred provides both male and female bartenders for private parties and events.

Special Event Bartenders

Professional Bartenders and Servers for Los Angeles Events

January 22, 2012June 21, 2012 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred is now serving the Los Angeles area providing professional bartenders and servers for all kinds of events – including parties, weddings, openings, screenings, barbeques, and art shows. Whether you are planning an informal pool party, or formal black tie cocktail reception, Shaken Not Stirred can provide the service you need to maximize the experience of your guests. Our staff strives to make you look good and help to create a memorable event for all involved.

Rob Neighbors has over fifteen years experience bartending and serving in the L.A. area. He has worked in high-end Italian restaurants including Milano’s, Prego, and Frascati of Redondo Beach, where he served as bar manager for three years.

At Frascati, he helped create a wine list and specialty drink menu with Chef Enrico Glaudo that proved to be a hit in the busy restaurant. Rob went on to work at the classic French restaurant, La Rive Gauche in Palos Verdes, where he participated in countless special events, including business presentations, wedding receptions, wakes, and company parties.

Over Rob’s career in the restaurant business in Los Angeles, he has developed relationships with top bartenders and servers and has brought them into his company. Every staff member at Shaken Not Stirred has been chosen because they have proven track records and personal and working relationships with Rob Neighbors. We do not send unknown and unproven entities to your event. We pride ourselves on dependability and prompt and professional service.

What you can expect when you book a party with Shaken Not Stirred:

Rob will consult with you and help you determine what you will need for the party depending upon the number of guests.
Create a specialty drink menu if desired.
Bartenders will show up on time with a bar kit including martini shakers, cutting board, wine opener, pourers, and blender if needed.
No tip jars. All fees will be agreed upon up front.
Friendly, professional service.
Professional attire specific to the event.

We realize that planning and executing an important event can be very stressful, and we seek to minimize your stress by providing seamless, invisible service, meaning that our staff comes and goes without any drama or big fan fare.

To book a party, please contact Rob at (310)280-6103 or email at shakennotstirred1@aol.com.

Rates vary depending on the level of service and type of event. A 25 percent non-refundable deposit will be required at the time of booking. Shaken Not Stirred has both male and female bartenders and servers available. We also have relationships with entertainers and caterers.

At Shaken Not Stirred, you only pay for the service provided for your party and no booking fees. Don’t even try to do the party yourself – let us help you create an event that you and your guests will never forget. Shaken Not Stirred serves the entire Los Angeles Area, including the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, the South Bay,Inland Empire, Orange County, Canyon Country, Ventura County, and Palm Springs.

Tag: Brentwood

40th Birthday Party and Barbecue at Wesley Hotel