Tag: Downtown LA

bartender for hire, Uncategorized

Shaken Not Stirred Provides Bartending Service at 8 Big Events

shakennotstirredinla
august2
The View from 17th Floor

Last week was one of the busiest weeks ever for Shaken Not Stirred – my staff and I provided bartending service at 8 great events. I started off the week doing two corporate events in Downtown LA and Venice, and then on Saturday we had a baby shower, a going away brunch, and two birthday parties. Sunday I drove to Palm Springs to bartend a bachelorette party, while another bartender did an anniversary party in Manhattan Beach.

I picked up a new corporate client and they say they will be doing as many as two events a month, all on the weekdays. I love these kind of events. I did the first one on thursday night in downtown Los Angeles, and it was held at the 17th floor pool area of a luxury condo building. I brought all the supplies, and hustled them up to the 17th floor. It is an extra service I provide for an extra fee, and many of my clients do not want the hassle of shopping for their supplies. I am glad to do it.

august3
New Favorite Mode of Transportation in Venice

On Friday, I once again traveled to Venice to do a mixer that coincides with the First Friday Food truck event on Abbot Kinney. This was my third time doing this event. Once again, I shopped for and brought all the supplies. I served wine, beer, and soft drinks to 30 or so people. Not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Hire a Bartending Service

  • Craft cocktails and professional quality drinks
  • We can do the shopping for you
  • Professional consultation
  • Multiple bartenders available
  • ABC certified

    august4
    Fullerton Baby Shower

Saturday was the big day that I was worried about because I had four different events staffed by four bartenders, plus myself. I had a baby shower to do with another bartender in Fullerton. One bartender did a daytime event in Sylmar, and then a birthday party later that night in Santa Clarita. Two other bartenders headed out to Pacoima to do a birthday party. Fortunately, everyone was on time and everything went great.

august5
Palm Springs Bachelorette Party

This weekend I have a wedding at the Diamond Bar Center on Saturday, and a birthday party in Studio City on Sunday. The month of august is flying by, and it won’t be too much longer that I will be booking Christmas parties. Like last year, I am saving all dates in December for my existing customers. Please follow us on Instagram.  

 

Mobile Bartenders, Uncategorized

Shaken Not Stirred Gig Bartender Does Events Across SoCal

shakennotstirredinla
simi1
Picturesque Simi Valley

Southern California’s traveling gig bartender, Shaken Not Stirred bartended several events in the past two weeks across the region. I have been very busy the past two weeks and have not had time to keep up with this blog. I have done events in Inglewood, Downtown LA, Pacific Palisades, Fullerton, Beverly Hills, and Simi Valley. All were successful, and I think my clients were happy with my service – I did pick up some more five star reviews and referrals.

I started off the string of events in Downtown LA at the La Kretz Innovation Campus. SheEO sponsored an fundraising event and I served wine and soft drinks to approximately 50 ladies. SheEO seems like a very worthwhile organization, and should appeal to any female entrepreneurs. I hope to do more events with them in the future.

SheEo
SheEo Event in Downtown LA

Next I bartended a party in Inglewood attended largely by a local contingent of Nigerian immigrants. They served traditional Nigerian food, like jerk goat, and mint pies. I served wine, beer, and cocktails. The host invited me to work there every Friday night. I was tempted by the offer of ongoing work, but turned it down. An ongoing weekly gig feels too much like a job to me. I would rather see where the universe takes me.

Types of Events for a Gig Bartender

  • Birthday parties
  • Weddings
  • Corporate Events
  • Fundraisers
  • Pool parties
  • Class Reuinions

The day after, I went to Pacific Palisades to bartend a summer/company party. A local law firm held the party for employees and friends. I set up my portable bar on the deck next to the pool. It was a hot summer night, and I got bitten several times by mosquitos, which is rare in California. The host had a very nice selection of liquor and mixers and I was able to make some craft cocktails.

palisades1
Guests mingle in Pacific Palisades

On Sunday, I traveled to Orange County to the Fullerton Community Center to bartend a wedding. It was a my first time working the venue and it had a large ballroom big enough to seat at least two hundred people. Over 100 people attended this wedding and I kept pretty busy making drinks for all of those people. Luckily they were mostly wine drinkers, which makes to easier for me to serve 100 people by myself.

Mid week I bartended a corporate event in Beverly Hills for one of my best clients. They have hired me for at least a dozen events, and most of the events are one weekdays, which I really appreciate. I brought another bartender with me and we served cocktails to approximately 75 guests. It was deathly hot and humid that night in Los Angeles, with the humidity hovering at 60 percent.

I finished off the week in beautiful Simi Valley bartending a baby shower on Saturday Night. The humid weather subsided, and it was an extremely pleasant night for August in Simi Valley. It even got a bit chilly after the sun went down. I served cocktails to around 50 guests and finished at 11pm.

This coming weekend I have only one event scheduled for Saturday night, but that could change. I will be bartending a birthday party in Northridge. Later this month I have events in Tujunga, San Diego, Irvine, and Hawthorne. All of my Saturdays are booked through October. Please follow Shaken Not Stirred, the gig bartender on Instagram.

Private Bartender, Uncategorized

Los Angeles Bartender for Hire Services Three Parties During NYE Weekend

shakennotstirredinla

Los Angeles bartender for hire Shaken Not Stirred provided bar service at three big Los Angeles parties during the transition period into 2017. I served literally thousands of drinks over the three day period and met hundreds of new people.

Sherman Oaks Surprise Birthday Party

Friday I didn’t have to travel far to bartend a 50th surprise birthday party in Sherman Oaks. It was a potentially cold and rainy night and the rain threatened to ruin the backyard party, but luckily it only sprinkled a bit during the party. The birthday girl was genuinely surprised. I served margaritas and apple martinis to 50 or so guests. They had a taco cart on hand and I’m sorry I can’t find the guys card or I would have included him here, but he served great tacos.

nye2
Taco cart in action at Sherman Oaks

The host commented that this was probably a boring party for me, because they weren’t really a hard drinking crowd. I didn’t mind at all because I knew I was going to work my ass off at the New Year’s Eve party the following night and that turned out to be true. The Sherman Oaks surprise birthday party was a perfect warm up for the whole weekend, and I was very happy to do it.

nye1
Birthday Girl blows out candles

Downtown LA New Year’s Eve Party

The NYE bash that I bartended was held in a warehouse in a gritty section of downton Los Angeles close to Skid Row. I drove through Skid Row on my way to the location and it was raining. The conditions are beyond deplorable down there, and it is hard to believe places like that exist in the USA. I pulled up in front of the warehouse early and there was nobody around. I was curious as to what kind of setup there would be there. It just looked like a produce warehouse on the outside. Finally someone showed up and opened the big doors and I could see curtains hanging inside the warehouse and tables. A taco cart vendor, Tacos Estilo Michoacan, arrived about the same time and started setting up outside.

nye3
Downtown LA warehouse where party was held

I went in a started setting up. They had cases and cases of beer, several handles of vodka, tequila, Jameson, Jack Daniels, and cases and cases of mixers. Shortly, the other bartender, aubrey arrived and it was my first time working with her. We spent two hours setting up and it took us all of that to get ready for 150 guests to arrive.

nye4
Bartender Aubrey waiting for action to start

People started filtering in and soon we were hit with waves and waves of people. We handled it well, and the only mishap of the evening was when a patron bumped into the bar and knocked over several full bottles of liquor. They shattered all over the floor and flooded the back of the bar with booze and broken glass. I scrambled to clean the mess up and was careful not to cut myself and the shards of broken bottles. We got through it, and continued pouring drinks until two in the morning. Santiago y su Groupo, a sixteen piece latin band provided live music and they were fantastic. The taco cart operated until 1am and I had a second helping of tacos around that time, which really hit the spot. We cleaned up the bar area and were out of there by 2:30 am in 2017.

nye5
Happy New Year!

Bartender for Hire in Los Angeles

  • Provides portable bar if needed
  • Knows how to make a myriad of cocktails
  • Helps provide a drink menu and shopping list
  • Can provide multiple bartenders
  • Is ABC certified

Pre Rose Bowl/50th Birthday Party in Manhattan Beach

nye6
Portable bar setup in Manhattan Beach

On Sunday, the Los angeles bartender for hire (me) went to Manhatten Beach to bartend a 50th birthday party/ Pre Rose Bowl party in Manhattan Beach. The birthday girl happened to be an alumni of Penn State, and Penn State happens to be playing against USC in the Rose Bowl this year. She had invited many Penn State alumni who have traveled here for the Rose Bowl. They were in town to party.

nye7
Shots!

This party turned into a rager. DJ Logik provided the tunes, and people were break dancing and singing out loud at the top of their lungs. I was hustling, serving close to 100 people by myself. I served my spicy jalapeno margarita, which was once again, a hit. I heard one woman say, “These margaritas are so much better than the ones we had last night,” which made me feel good. Soho Taco served the food, and I have worked with them before at other events.
January looks pretty light so far for Shaken Not Stirred. I have events scheduled for Redondo Beach and San Marcos later this month, and I am sure I will pick up some more business before it is all over. January is generally a slow month as people are all partied out after the holiday season. There will likely be a few corporate events and birthday parties. Please follow us on Facebook if you haven’t done so already.

Party Bartenders, Private Bartender, Uncategorized

Private Bartender at La Canada Christmas Party

shakennotstirredinla
lc1
Private bartender selfie

 

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.

lc5
La Canada on a cloudy day

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.

lc4
Shots!

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

 

Birthday Party Bartender, Uncategorized

Agoura Hills 40th Birthday Party

shakennotstirredinla
agh4
Agoura Hills neighborhood

On Saturday, Shaken Not Stirred traveled to Agoura Hills to bartend a 40th birthday party and casino night. The host had really done the house up right for the event and they had two blackjack tables, a craps table and Texas Hold em’ poker. They really had the house set up like an illicit private casino. This was all in fun, of course, because the guests weren’t gambling for real money.

The home at a built in bar, that the host said they never used. I made myself at home behind the bar and I served Moscow Mules, Kentucky Mules, Lemon Drops, and Cosmos. There were over fifty guests and I kept pretty busy for awhile. The guests were having a great time at the tables, and when I could I went around Vegas style to tables taking drink orders.

agh3
Blackjack table

40th Birthday Party Ideas

  • Hire a bartender
  • Casino games
  • Plan a drink menu
  • Choose a theme

The food provided for this 40th birthday party was traditional middle eastern cuisine, including shish kabobs, hummus and other favorites. I did not get the name of the caterer. California Casino Company of Thousand Oaks provided the dealers and casino tables. Pandora, I believe provided the music. Of course, all casino nights usually include music from the Rat Pack, including classics by Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Dean Martin. I was thinking that these songs, like “All or Nothing at All,” “I’ve Got You Under my Skin,” have been recycled thousands of times at Italian Restaurants, Casinos, and parties. All of those songs that were recorded in the sixties, and there is nothing new like them coming out now. All of the great song writers must be dead.

agh2
Texas Hold Em’

March was slow for Shaken Not Stirred, but things are looking up in April. I have a wedding this weekend in Camarillo, that kicks off the Spring wedding season. Then I have three back to back events in Downtown LA, then the following weekend I am off to La Quinta to bartend two weddings. I have had many calls for graduation parties in May, and am having to farm some of them out. If I can’t do a job myself, I will do my best to refer another bartender I trust, or send one of my other qualified bartenders out.

agh1
Craps
Corporate Event, Uncategorized

3 Day Corporate Event in Downtown LA

shakennotstirredinla
reef4
Interesting merchandise at The Reef

I bartended a 3 day corporate event in Downtown LA last week at the LA Mart, also known as The Reef. This is the third time I have been called back there, and it always nice to get repeat business. The Reef is a twelve story building in Downtown Los Angeles that is home to dozens of showrooms where distributors and importers show their wares to wholesale buyers. They have several shows a year that attract buyers from all over the country.

reef3
The Reef in Downtown LA

The Reef sets up bars every day during the special markets to serve complimentary wine to the buyers. The idea of course is to get them in the mood to buy, buy, buy. These are always fun events and I end up talking to and serving hundreds of people during the three day period. On the final day, they had a reception for the buyers and sellers and we served wine and beer. It was a great way to cap off the three day event.

After the Saturday night event I was driving home and I took Broadway, which I quickly learned was a mistake. They were having a special “Bringing Back Broadway” event and thousands of people were walking along Broadway and standing in line outside the old theatres down there. It took me twenty minutes to drive one block. I finally got off of Broadway and onto Olive, and that was my second fatal mistake. Cars were jammed solid in every direction. It took me one hour to go a block and get off of Olive. It was a good thing I was not on my way to a job.  This is why I almost always leave two hours early to any job I do in Los Angeles.

reef2
Bar setup at The Reef

Downtown LA Events

  • Grand Openings
  • Trade Shows
  • Conventions
  • Corporate Events
  • Client Appreciation
  • Retirement parties

Next week I will travel to Palm Springs to bartend an all day party on Saturday, and then am doing a repeat performance Super Bowl Party on Sunday in Glendora. I have two more wedding events going on in Palm Springs at the end of the month, and a Valentine’s Day wedding in South Bay on February 14. The month of March is still pretty open, so book you parties now.

reef1
Buyers and sellers mingle at The Reef
Fundraisers, Special Event Bartenders

Oak Park Fundraiser Boutique

shakennotstirredinla

The Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club held their annual fundraiser boutique at St. Maixilmilian Kolbe Church in Oak Park. Shaken Not Stirred provided bartenders and served wine to approximately 400 guests. The church has a very nice event space where dozens of vendors set up shop for the “Gingerbread Boutique” that serves as a fundraiser for the women’s group and kicks off the holiday shopping season.

We served over seven cases of wine during the four hour period. We were serving Zinfindel, Cabernet, and Chardonay. I recommended two bartenders to the host because there were over two hundred guests. As it turned out, I think I could have handled it myself because the guests filtered in over the course of the night. There was never a line of people waiting to be served. We steadily served people during the four hour period.

Stonefire Grill of Thousand Oaks provided the catering and they had some very interesting and tasty food, including a cauliflower salad that was just excellent. I have done several of these events and hope to more of them as the holiday season progresses. I love bartending events on weekdays. I have one office party scheduled on a Wednesday in Palm Springs next month. Hopefully I can book something else in that area on Tuesday or Thursday that same week. Shaken Not Stirred provides bartenders and servers for fundraisers, office parties, corporate events, and openings, among other events.

Tonight I am traveling to Woodland Hills to bartend a birthday party. I will be serving Lemon Drops, Cucumber martinis, and classic martinis. I really like a making martinis and am pretty good at it. I really like using real martini glasses as well, which I will be doing tonight. Next weekend I am bartending a 21st birthday party at a loft in downtown Los Angeles, which should be interesting. If you are planning a holiday party and have not yet booked a bartender – don’t wait. Contact me today and put down a small deposit. I will hold the date for you.

Bartender modeling wine
Bartender modeling wine

oakpark3oakpark2

Birthday Party Bartender, Corporate Event, Special Event Bartenders

Downtown LA Corporate Events and Palm Springs Birthday Party

shakennotstirredinla

It was another busy week for Shaken Not Stirred as we did corporate events in downtown LA on Thursday and Friday, and then traveled to Palm Springs on Saturday. In addition, a former client in Beverly Hills need someone on Friday night and I sent one of my other bartenders. Everything turned out very well, and I believe we have some more satisfied clients.

Thursday and Friday I was at The Reef

A world of dogs at the Reef
A world of dogs at the Reef
Drinks waiting to go out
Drinks waiting to go out
Palm Springs pool action
Palm Springs pool action
ps193
Guests react to surprise mariachis

in downtown Los Angeles as they had one of their quarterly sales events that attract hundreds of buyers. We set up stations in the morning to serve Mimosas, and then again in the afternoon to serve wine.  People look at the mimosa station and roll their eyes – “This early?” they say, but we ended up serving all of the champagne budgeted.  This kind of bartending is so easy, that it is almost embarrassing, yet however one of the bartenders pre-opened every single bottle of wine at his station, and much of that wine had to be poured out. That is something that comes with experience – you pre open a few only. Wine goes bad quickly once it is opened.

The Palm Springs event was a 50th birthday party and went from 1pm until 10pm.  I made dirty martinis, cosmos, bay breeze, and many margaritas. I make good margaritas and I always add fresh squeezed lime juice to them with a salt rim. There was a lime tree in the backyard, so I had no shortage of limes. There was also a grapefruit tree and I made Salty Dog martinis with the fresh grapefruits.

This birthday party was one of the most memorable I’ve done.  Friends and family members of the birthday celebrant came from all over the country and Canada for the event. They rented a very nice home in Palm Springs just north of downtown. They arranged for two separate tours for the guests to see the movie stars homes in Palm Springs. Crayons of Palm Springs provided the catering and they were fantastic. They had two different types of paninis, heirloom tomatoes, pasta, and other goodies. Their strawberry salad was out of this world, and I was reluctant to try it because I don’t normally like salads with fruit in them. Truly a unique choice in catering and I highly recommend.

The highlight of the evening and it really was an incredible moment, was when the doorbell rang, and in came a troupe of mariachis blasting their trumpets and it was completely unexpected. Some friends of the birthday boy had hired the mariachis as a surprise and they ended up playing for an hour. It really blasted the party into the fourth dimension.  Mariachi Jalisco provided the mariachis and their phone number is (760) 333-0991.

Next weekend I will be doing a big event in Encino as a law office throws a big anniversary party and is expecting almost 200 guests.