Executive retreat – Shaken Not Stirred in LA

Villa Park 10th Birthday Party

September 26, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

vp5 — Shark theme at 10th birthday party

On Saturday I returned to best backyard bar in Villa Park in OC to bartend a 10th birthday party. Yes, I do kids birthday parties quite often, because the adult guests need a cocktail, and I make mocktails for the kids. This was the third party I have done for these clients and they really go all out each time. I think this was probably one memorable 10th birthday party for the birthday boy.

The hosts always rent some really cool party props for their parties depending on what the theme is. For this party, the theme was beach and sharks and they had all kinds of event props along those lines. I believe they get the event props at RWP Party Props of Orange. They had lifeguards for this party and I wish I would have got their card, because they did a great job providing pool games for the kids and keeping them safe. I would say lifeguards are a must have at this type of party. The Habit provided the food truck.

I made three different mocktails for the kids – a shark attack drink, the ever popular Shirley Temple, and a virgin Pina Collada. One little girl even asked for a Roy Rodgers, which was my favorite as a kid. The adults drank many real Pina Colladas, beers, and various other cocktails. It was a very relaxed day, but I kept plenty busy.

vp3 — Adults socialize at OC birthday party

10th Birthday Party Ideas

Choose a theme
Provide entertainment
Hire a bartender
Hire lifeguards
Serve great food

At the end, the host asked me back to provide bartending service for a weeknight cocktail party in a couple of weeks. I always love those. This weekend I will be bartending a wedding in Agoura Hills on Friday night, and then am leaving the next morning for Palm Springs where I will be providing poolside bartending service for two days at an executive retreat.

vp1 — Lifeguards facilitate pool contests

Mobile Bartenders, Uncategorized, Wedding Bartender

Redondo Beach Wedding at Sunset

September 22, 2016September 22, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of providing bartending service on the Esplanade in Redondo Beach for a wedding that took place right at Sunset. Redondo Beach has to be the most beautiful area in Los Angeles County, and I miss living down there, so it was a treat for me just to go there. This was a weekday wedding, which was I don’t do very often, but keep them coming is all I can say.

The wedding took place on the sun deck of the apartment complex where the groom lives. All of the other tenants in the apartment building were invited, and the groom explained to me that they all hang out. That is the way it is in the South Bay. The bride and groom met at the Bull Pen, which I thought was funny. The Bull Pen is a South Redondo bar that is notorious for being a cougar meat market. I went in there one time and a 70 year old man purposely bumped into me because he thought i was after his action. Apparently, real love does blossom at the Bull Pen and this wedding was proof positive of that.

Redondo Beach Bars

The Bull Pen
Pat’s II
Hennessy’s
O’Hearn’s
Naja’s Place
The Thirsty Club

Cocktail hour started at 5pm and I served a lot of wine and standard mixed drinks like gin and tonics and rum and Cokes. One of the guests brought a few magnums of a very nice Cabernet. The wine was a 2005 and needed time to breath to come alive. The guests enjoyed it and drank several bottles. Made By Meg provided the catering and they had some excellent lamb chops and other goodies for the guests.

The ceremony began right as the sun went down, and the sunset on the water was stunning as it always is. I used to watch those beautiful sunsets every day when I lived in Hermosa Beach. I will be returning to the South Bay next month to do a party in Hermosa Beach. On Saturday I return to Orange County to bartend a birthday party for some of my best clients at their home in Villa Park. Next weekend I will be bartending a Friday wedding in Agoura Hills, and then am driving out to Indian Wells to bartend a two day executive retreat.

Mobile Bartenders, Uncategorized

Executive Retreat & 2 4th of July Parties

July 5, 2016July 5, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Fourth of July weekend was busy for Shaken Not Stirred as I put over 500 miles on my car and bartended an executive retreat in Palm Desert and two July Fourth parties in Orange County. The Fourth of July fell on a Monday this year, so many people celebrated on Saturday instead, and I provided bartending services for a fantastic second of July party in Villa Park. Then on the actual Fourth of July, I returned to Lake Forest in Orange County to bartend a daytime party before the fireworks started.

The executive retreat in Palm Desert was arranged for members of a law firm from Vancouver, Canada. It was very hot in the desert that day and was 105 in the shade. I made a variety of blended drinks, as well as some mojitos. The heat was oppressive and when I got back to my hotel the swimming pool was as hot as bath water and it took my hotel room three hours to cool down. Usually the desert slows down during the summer, but their seemed to be a lot of people in Palm Springs.

vp2 — The Statue of Liberty visits Villa Park

The next day I drove directly to Villa Park in Orange County to bartend the Second of July party. This was my third time working for these clients, and they have a fantastic back yard, pool and bar. They throw great parties and this time they had the whole front and backyard decorated for the Fourth of July. They had a mock Independence Hall, a Statue of Liberty, and many other great party props provided by RWB Party Props of Anaheim. Spectacular Catering of Irvine provided the food and they did a spectacular job. I was busy the entire time making drinks for 100 people. We went through two kegs of beer, and lots of vodka and tequila.

vp1 — Fantastic back yard bar in Villa Park

Executive Retreat in the Desert

Hire a bartender
Create a theme
Great resort rentals
Team building
Magician, Georges Robert at Lake Forest party

On Monday I returned to Orange County to a home in Lake Forest to bartend the Fourth of July party. This was a unique party and I have never heard of anybody doing it before. The host invited the entire staff of his favorite restaurant, Javier’s to a pool party at his house. This was such a nice gesture, and he even brought in a taco cart provided by Tacos Zapata, and magician, Georges Robert. The magician was fantastic, a real entertainer and the guests were enthralled. No doubt the host will be a VIP at Javier’s for years to come.

Next weekend I will traveling to San Diego to bartend a company party. Later this month I will be doing a wedding in Solvang, a wedding at the Diamond Bar Center, and hopefully one in Thousand Oaks.

Special Event Bartenders

La Quinta Executive Retreat

April 29, 2013 shakennotstirredinla

The last weekend in April I was hired to bar tend an executive retreat at a fantastic home located within the PGA West La Quinta Resort. It was a different kind of gig than I am used to doing, because we were only serving 11 people. They requested a server also and I contracted a local girl to help me. The house had a great set up for entertaining, including two marble bars, an incredible pool and Jacuzzi, fire pits and first class barbecue grill.

The temperature was over 90 and the executives stayed in the pool for the first couple of hours. I made a vodka punch with Kettle One, cranberry juice, and sliced oranges that went over well. The chef/caterer, Laz Jefferson, served appetizers which included some of the best grilled prawns I have ever tasted. A few of the guests moved inside to the bar and enjoyed Cuba Libres ala Captain Morgan, while one of the execs played background music on the piano.

Later, everyone dressed and we set the table for dinner. Laz Jefferson created an incredible meal which included tri-tip, halibut, grilled vegetables, a mixed green salad, and rice. The server I hired and I helped serve the meal while the guests discussed their business. I have found that “invisible service” is called for in situations like these. Sometimes guests want to be entertained by bartenders and servers, and this was not one of those times – business was at hand. I am capable of doing both kinds of service and know the difference. I decanted and served the wine, which was a fine Napa Valley Cabernet. The night ended with an incredible hand-crafted desert by Chef, Laz Jefferson, and after dinner drinks hand crafted by me.

Shaken Not Stirred pulled off another successful in the desert. The pool party season has officially begun, and we are geared up for it. Shaken Not Stirred provides bartenders and servers all over Southern California for pool parties, executive retreats, weddings, birthday parties, and corporate functions. We serve Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. Book your event today because dates are filling up for the summer season.