Christmas Party – Shaken Not Stirred in LA

Shaken Not Stirred had its best holiday season to date and so far in December we have completed 21 events, with two parties still to go. When I first started doing this blog, I would write one blog post for every event I did and that has gotten harder and harder to do as I do multiple events in one week. It has a been a hectic season, and I am a little relieved that it is over, but as far as I know, all of our clients were happy and there were no major problems.

xmas17hh — My son bartending in Hollywood

My goal this year for the month of December was that I would save as many dates as possible for repeat customers and referrals. For the most part I did that. I had great repeat customers book parties in Valley Village, Hollywood, Venice, San Clemente, Silver Lake, Van Nuys, Reseda, Santa Monica, and Simi Valley. I didn’t have to travel too far, with San Clemente being the furthest I went during the month of December. I picked up some great new clients in Simi Valley, Hermosa Beach, Santa Clarita, and Moorpark. I am probably forgetting someone, but will remember them later.

I had multiple bartenders, including, Tanner, Edie, Matt, Melanie, Thomas, and Will helping me. Some of the bartenders went out and completed gigs on their own and I got great feedback from all of my clients. We literally served thousands of cocktails over the course of the month. We went through gallons and gallons of vodka, whiskey, and tequila. We emptied cases and cases of wine and beer.

Highlights included the big casino night in Venice, the annual Christmas party in Hollywood for the Better Call Saul production company, the Spacex launch, and numerous wonderful home parties, food, drink, and music. I sampled all kinds of fantastic food, from tacos, prime rib, pork belly, steaks, and many ethnic delicacies.

This weekend marks the final chapter for Shaken Not Stirred in 2017. Saturday I will drive to Huntington Beach to bartend a 40th birthday party/whiskey tasting. On Sunday, I get to stay in the San Fernando Valley for New Year’s Eve – I will be doing a NYE party in Sherman Oaks. Looking forward to a great New Year and already have several dates booked in January, February, and March.

IMG_20171222_201508_427 — SpaceX test over Moorpark

Christmas Party Bar tenders, Uncategorized

First Three Holiday Parties in December

December 6, 2017 shakennotstirredinla

I have 25 holiday parties scheduled so far for December, and still have some open dates available. The Christmas decorations are up and Santa even made an appearance at a December 1, company party. So, far, so good for the first three and only 22 more to go and I’m sure I will pick up more. New Year’s eve is still available and I’m holding off trying to book that, and am waiting to see if one of my repeat customers wants to do a party that night.

Woodland Hills Company Party

An engineering firm in Warner Center had their company Christmas party on December first at their company office. They had an island in the center of the office that worked perfectly as a makeshift bar. I provided glassware rentals. I can get any kind of glassware rentals my clients want. One thing that I have found, is that the guests attending parties don’t really care and are perfectly fine drinking out of plastic cups. It is nice to have real wine glasses on occasion and especially real martini glasses.

I made cucumber mint Moscow mules, and cranberry Old Fashioneds for the guests at this party. They hired a taco caterer to come and make tacos, but one thing they didn’t think about is that you can’t make tacos for 40 people inside an enclosed office space. The smoke will set the sprinklers off. They quickly came to a solution and the taco man setup on the roof of the building and brought the finished product down to serve.

Simi Valley Christmas Party

The second of December found me in Simi Valley at the home of a repeat client. They really go all out for Christmas and put up extensive decorations. They have a very nice bar inside their home and it is a pleasure to work from. I served martinis and other holiday themed cocktails to approximately 80 guests. They had a DJ and the hosts and guests danced up a storm. They brought in food from Simi Valley restaurant, Viva La Pasta.

holiday2 — Christmas decorations on Simi Valley home

The host told me they may have another party before the month if over. I still have the 22cnd of the 23rd available. I am booked on Christmas Eve. December is always my busiest month and it usually slows down considerably in January. All the bartending companies will be competing for morsels until the wedding season starts again in March.

Hollywood Holiday Party

Last night I traveled to Hollywood for the third annual company holiday party of a television production company. This company has a hit television series going on its fourth season, so they have much to celebrate. They usually have over two hundred guests so that keeps two bartenders very busy for four hours.

Pink Taquiza catered the tacos. My son helped me and we served a Pomegranate Moscow Mule. I premixed a big batch to save time serving and that worked out well. The signature cocktail was a hit and we served out of it by the end of the night. Tomorrow I have a corporate holiday event in Culver City. Friday night I am sending multiple bartenders out to locations in Hermosa Beach, and Silverlake, while I bartend a party in San Clemente. One Saturday I return to the San Fernando Valley to bartend a holiday party, and then on Sunday I go to Manhattan Beach to bartend a party for the Christmas fireworks show. Please follow us on Instagram.

Party Bartenders, Private Bartender, Uncategorized

Private Bartender at La Canada Christmas Party

December 22, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Last night, for the third year in a row I served as the private bartender for a company Christmas party at a very nice home in La Canada. The host is a very successful real estate agent in the area and has a fantastic home for entertaining. He has a very nice little bar inside the house, and he has a great one outside as well, where we hold parties in the summer.

About 90 guests were in attendance and I served drinks that had real estate terms for names like the “Pocket Listing,” “Multiple Offers,” and “Just Sold.” I made my spicy jalapeno margarita mix and that was a hit as it usually is. I also served a lot of Johnny Walker Black, and made a holiday cranberry Old Fashioned. As a private bartender I have manned the bar at over 400 events, so by now I am comfortable behind any bar.

I can make a variety of cocktails with a few simple mixers. It is always good to have cranberry juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, Coke, Diet Coke, Seven Up, and bitters. For garnishes it is good to have limes, lemons, cherries, and olives. Mint, oranges, cranberries, cucumbers, and other garnishes are usually for specialty drinks. As a private bartender, I consult with hosts about the drink menu and shopping list. I can do all the shopping also, but charge an extra fee for that.

Advantages of Hiring a Private Bartender

The hosts can enjoy themselves at the party
Bartender makes consistently good drinks
Guests are impressed
Bartender can monitor guests intoxication level
Host saves money on shopping list

Unless I book something else next week, this was my last holiday party of the season until New Year’s Eve. I am booked for NYE at a warehouse party in Downtown LA that should be interesting. On New Year’s Day I will return to Manhattan Beach to provide bartending service for a pre Rose Bowl/birthday party. I think 2017 is going to be a record year for Shaken Not Stirred, and look forward to serving many of my repeat customers and gaining a bunch of new ones.

Please follow us on Facebook if you haven’t done so already.

Mexican Wedding, Uncategorized, Wedding Bartender

December Backyard Wedding Party in Northridge

December 20, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Saturday, Shaken Not Stirred provided bar catering service for a backyard wedding party in Northridge. This was my only December wedding this year. It is of course, risky to have a backyard party in December in Los Angeles, because there is always a chance of rain, but luckily that didn’t happen this time. On the same day, there was a terrible freak accident at an outdoor wedding in Whittier – the mother of the bride was killed when a tree fell over and a toddler was severely injured. You just don’t know what is going to happen when you wake up in the morning.

The Northridge wedding party went off very well. I served Palomas, margaritas, and a few other simple drinks. Cafe N’ Stuff Catering provided the food, and they had some very good beef and mushroom chicken. The DJ was a family friend and he spun some really good old school and latin favorites. The only problem I saw all night was that one of the patio heaters didn’t work. There is always one of those that cause problems.

nr2 — Backyard wedding party in Northridge

Backyard Wedding Party Advantages

Save lot’s of money
Avoid insurance, security and related costs
Create an interesting space
More intimate setting
Hire your own vendors

It was kind of nice to bartend a wedding right in the middle of Christmas party season. I did many holiday parties this season, and will be bartending at a company holiday party in La Canada tomorrow. Then I have a New Year’s Eve party in downtown Los Angeles, and a New Year’s day party in Manhattan Beach scheduled.

Next month is looking kind of light for the bar catering business, and it usually is. I will probably bartend a few birthday parties and a corporate event or two. It has been awhile since I have been out to Palm Springs, so I will probably try to get some parties out there. Please follow us on Facebook if you haven’t done so already.

Corporate Event, Special Event Bartenders, Uncategorized

Bar Catering at Two Culver City Holiday Parties

December 19, 2016December 19, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Last week Shaken Not Stirred provided bar catering at two separate company holiday parties in Culver City. It’s funny that both companies seemed to be closed related as to what they did – all things digital, had similar guests, and were less than a mile from each other. These were the first parties I have bartended at in Culver City since being in business.

On Thursday it was raining throughout Los Angeles, and we all know what that means – horrible traffic and massive delays. In Culver City it was even worse. I got down into the area way early and I worked out at LA Fitness. I finished my workout two hours before I was supposed to arrive at the party. My GPS said I was 2.2 miles away from the location. It took me ONE HOUR to drive 2.2 miles in Culver City traffic. On top of that my phone was about to die and my car charger wasn’t working. I was sweating, thinking that is my phone died, I would not know the address, contacts phone numbers or anything. I finally made it to the location and my phone died minutes later. The moral of this story is that I must keep a printed map of the location, directions, and contact phone numbers on all jobs.

Randy Rollog (310) 621-3051 provided DJ service for the Thursday night event. He played Christmas music and then slowly switched it up to hip hop. He has a good setup, and I hope I can toss some business his way. I have been looking for a reliable DJ I can work with.

Bar Catering Services

Provide a physical portable bar
Staff bartenders and cocktail servers
Consultation about drink menu and shopping list
Create craft cocktails
Beer, wine, and non alcoholic beverage service
Weddings, corporate events, private parties

The second night, Friday, I had the larger of the two holiday parties in Culver City. I brought another bartender with me and we set up two bars – one outside the location and one inside the kitchen at the facility. I manned the outside bar where they had the stage setup for a live band. The other bartender held down the fort in side. We served over 100 guests. The Goldsoundz provided the live music, including classic and alternative rock. They had two food trucks doing the catering, but I was too busy to get their information

These two holiday parties were some of the last of the holiday season. The next night I provided bar catering at a December wedding in Northridge. I have a Christmas party in LA Canada later this week, and then a New Year’s Eve party, and a New Year’s day party, and then the holiday season will be officially over. Please follow Shaken Not Stirred on Facebook if you haven’t done so already.

Christmas Party Bar tenders, Corporate Event, Party Bartenders, Uncategorized

Hollywood Holiday Party

December 12, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

op1 — Bartender Mia at Hollywood Holiday Party

Wednesday night I returned to Hollywood to provide bartending service for a holiday party of a very successful production company. I did the bar catering last year and was very happy to return. I brought another bartender with me and we served approximately 250 thirsty people. I set up two portable bars side by side and we went to town slinging drinks.

The hosts requested a specialty drink that required rosemary simple syrup. I volunteered to make the simple syrup, because I like the challenge of doing that. I can infuse almost any herb, fruit, or vegetable into simple syrup, and have done cucumber, peppercorn, ginger, and now rosemary. The drink they created was called the 1936 Cocktail and it consisted of Tito’s vodka, grapefruit juice, rosemary simple syrup, and dash of club soda. The drink was a big hit.

Papa Christo’s of Los Angeles provided the catering and they put out some excellent Greek food for the hungry partiers. We also served four different beers, red and white wines and various mixed drinks. I had helped the host with a shopping list and we went through most of it by the end.

Holiday Party Ideas

Hire a bartending service
Choose a theme
Book it plenty early
Keep the music playing
Have a raffle

This holiday season I have had to hire more bartenders to help out with the demand. Every year in December there are always parties on Friday and Saturday nights, and more during the week, especially during the first three weeks of the month. Luckily, I have been able to accommodate all of me good customers. So far, I am still available for New Year’s Eve – the last holiday party of the year. Call me today!

Please follow us on Facebook if you haven’t done so already.

Christmas Party Bar tenders, Uncategorized

Orange County Christmas Party

December 5, 2016December 5, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

oc2 — Christmas Bar Display in Villa Park

Saturday, Shaken Not Stirred traveled to Villa Park to bartend an Orange County Christmas party – the first of the season. I have been to this house several times before and they throw great parties. The host usually chooses a theme for the party and rents some great party props. When I pulled up to the house this time, I thought I was at the wrong place, because there wasn’t a full Santa and reindeer getup in the front yard. They had the back yard decorated very nicely however.

This house has the best backyard bar and pool setup I have seen at any property I have worked at. I was surprised that on the third of December that they had actually hired a lifeguard and all of the kids went swimming. The pool was at a balmy 90 degrees and the jacuzzi was set at 100. There are not many places in the continental USA where you can have a pool party in December, but Orange County is one of them.

They had several rented patio heaters for the party and my job was to light them. I used to have nightmares about patio heaters when I worked at a restaurant in Redondo Beach, because they are almost always a pain in the ass. The trick is to follow the direction precisely. It has taken me years to learn that, and maybe I can apply that wisdom to other areas of my life. Anyway, I felt quite proud of myself that I was able to light all 8 patio heaters.

Orange County Christmas Season

Pool parties in December
Cruise of Lights in Huntington Harbor
Disney Holiday Lights
Christmas Boat Parade
Fiesta Navidad

The hosts in Villa Park not only have a fantastic bar, but a great selection of top shelf liquor. I was able to fulfill almost every request and made Lemon Drops, Moscow and Kentucky Mules, Dark and Stormy, Cuba Libres, and Old Fashioneds, among others. This Christmas party was for some parents and their kids that belong to an organization called.

The party was held for the parents of an Orange County organization where fathers can take their sons and daughters on camping trips and other activities. It sounds like a wonderful organization, and I’m sorry I can’t remember the name of it right now. There are separate organizations for boys and girls. It looks like the one for girls in Orange County is called the Orange Spirit Nation. It is designed for fathers that work a lot to bond with their sons and daughters during organized camping trips and activities. They also make great friends with the other parents. I wish I would have done more of that kind of thing when my kids were younger.

bachelorette party bartender, Birthday Party Bartender, Uncategorized

Two Coachella Valley Events in One Day

May 24, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

On Saturday Shaken Not Stirred drove east of LA to provide bartending services at two Coachella Valley events on the same day. The first event started at noon and was a bachelorette/pool party in Rancho Mirage. The second event was a 40th birthday/dinner party at a beautiful condo in La Quinta.

I have done a few bachelorette parties in the Palm Springs area. I couldn’t help but thinking how differently females act at their bachelorette parties, than males do at bachelor parties. I have not bartended at any bachelor parties, but I have attended them. Of course, men tend to like raunchy, debaucherous activities at bachelor parties, while the females it seems, just enjoy hanging out and chatting, and enjoying a few drinks.

At this bachelorette party, I served many blended drinks, including the Miami Vice, Margaritas, and Pina Colladas. I also took advantage of the fruit trees in the back yard and made Margaritas with oranges from the tree, and Palomas from the grapefruits. The girls had fun beating the hell out of a pinata filled with candy and lottery tickets.

Coachella Valley Events

Coachella Music Festival
Stagecoach
Desert Trip
Palm Springs Pride
Dinah Shore Weekend
Various birthday parties, pool parties, etc…
La Quinta Condo

I had one hour to drive from Rancho Mirage to La Quinta to get to the second party. I worried about that all morning. I hate being late, and in my book if I am not fifteen minutes early, I am late. My GPS said it was a 37 minute drive, but it had me taking some hair brained route back to the 10 freeway, and thankfully I knew better. I drove my own route and it took me 25 minutes. Ravel’s Bolero was playing on the FM station and ended just as I drove up to the guard gate for the second party.

The house that second party was held at was on the golf course and was pretty stunning. The party was a celebration of a man’s 40th birthday with several of his closest friends. I made vodka martinis and manhattans using real glassware, which is always nice. Fabulous Food Alchemy of Palm Springs provided the catering and he made an excellent spread of appetizers for the cocktail hour. Afterwards, everyone sat at the fabulous dining table for a three course meal. I served wine to the guests during dinner, and I know how to do that because I have fine dining experience as a server.

Both events went off without a hitch, and I had a large baptism party going in La Canada simultaneously that was manned by my son and one of my other bartenders, Kelly. I was worried that they were going to have problems and not be able to reach me, because I was getting no cell service in the La Quinta condo. Everything went fine, however, and the client said my other bartenders were “phenomenal”. I also have a Palm Springs Yelp page, that I have not yet received any reviews on, if anyone is so inclined.

I just booked a September wedding in the remote location of New Cayuma in Santa Barbara County. I also just booked my first Christmas party of 2016 on December 10th. The year is just flying by.

Birthday Party Bartender, Corporate Event

Two Rancho Mirage Events

October 11, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred does events in Rancho Mirage and bartended two great parties this weekend. On Thursday I returned to Desert Periodontics on Bob Hope Drive to help with a seminar for area dentists. This is the second time I have done events there, and am scheduled for another in December. Then on Saturday , I bartended a 30^th birthday party at a private home in Rancho Mirage.

The corporate event at Desert Periodontics was typical for many corporate events I do. I served beer, wine, soft drinks, and water. The guests usually drink one or two drinks. I am there to be of service, keep the area clean, and help serve food when needed. At this particular event they had a sit down dinner of 40 people and I helped with that. I will be returning in December to help with the company Christmas party.

I stayed in Palm Springs on Friday rather than drive back to LA. I stay at the Knight’s Inn in Palm Springs. The pictures online don’t make the place look very good, but it is really much nicer than the pictures. It is reasonably priced and clean. The staff there is very nice and treat me great. I also get rewards points from the Wyndham Rewards Program. It is a very good program and covers several hotel chains. I highly recommend it.

On Saturday, I bartended a 30^th birthday party at a Rancho Mirage home. There were about 40 guests in attendance, and the specialty drink was the Moscow mule. When I arrived, many of the guests were already there, so I had to set up on the fly. Once I got set up, it settled down and it was a very nice evening. The house had a sunken bar and guests sat at the bar like it was in a real bar or restaurant.

Today I am driving back toward LA, but am stopping in Diamond Bar to bartend a large wedding at the Diamond Bar Center. This is my second event at the Diamond Bar Center, and this is big one with 350 guests. I have two more bartenders joining me. Next weekend I have two events in Los Angeles, so I get to stay close to home.

Party Bartenders, Special Event Bartenders

Two San Fernando Valley Parties

September 27, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

This weekend Shaken Not Stirred remained at home in the San Fernando Valley and bartended two parties in Sherman Oaks and Northridge. The first party was a wedding rehearsal dinner south of the boulevard in Sherman Oaks, and the second party was a one year old’s birthday party in Northridge. I made a lot of margaritas over the weekend, to say the least.

The Sherman Oaks party was poolside at a very nice hillside home a few blocks south of Ventura Boulevard. The host had requested that I make the margarita mix with fresh ingredients. I use limes, lemons, agave nectar, and filtered water to make my own mixture, and it has always been a hit. The host asked me why I use lemons, and I suppose the real answer is because I have a lemon tree in the backyard that produces some of the juiciest lemons I have ever seen. I didn’t use those lemons for this batch because they aren’t ready yet, but they should be ready by Christmas, and are excellent for whiskey sours, Tom Collins mix, and many other cocktails.

The margaritas were a hit at the Sherman Oaks party, and many of the guests were in from Canada, enjoying the 100 degree weather we are having here in the valley. I served completely out of the margarita mix and only served a few beers and some sangria and white wine. The heat was oppressive when I first arrived, but it cooled off a little after the sun went down.

On Saturday, I traveled a few miles further to Northridge to bartend a one year old’s birthday party. The hosts were of Philippine heritage and they explained to me, a one year olds birthday is a big deal in their culture. They really did some elaborate planning and decorating for the party, and they had a large yard that was very conducive to entertaining. Approximately 100 guests showed up, including a lot of children. Mark Cano was the photographer on hand, and he also kept very busy.

I made Moscow Mules, Cadillac Margaritas, and variations of vodka drinks. I also served a lot of Coors Light. Once again, temperatures were soaring in the valley. I kept very busy during this party and was struggling to keep up as a steady stream of people came to bar. We almost ran out of cups and ice, but somehow made it to the end of the night with few left over.

Next week, I have a corporate event in Newport Beach on Thursday, and then a wedding in Hollywood on Saturday. I still have Friday and Sunday open and hope to book some more events. I will be very busy in the month of October, and have several event scheduled in the Palm Springs area. I just booked my first Christmas party yesterday, and expect many of those dates to start filling fa

st.

Tag: Christmas Party

Shaken Not Stirred Shows up Strong for 2017 Holiday Season

First Three Holiday Parties in December

Woodland Hills Company Party

Simi Valley Christmas Party

Hollywood Holiday Party

Private Bartender at La Canada Christmas Party

Advantages of Hiring a Private Bartender

December Backyard Wedding Party in Northridge

Backyard Wedding Party Advantages

Bar Catering at Two Culver City Holiday Parties

Bar Catering Services

Hollywood Holiday Party

Holiday Party Ideas

Orange County Christmas Party

Orange County Christmas Season

Two Coachella Valley Events in One Day

Coachella Valley Events

Two Rancho Mirage Events

Two San Fernando Valley Parties