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.
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.
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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.
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.
Sunday, Shaken Not Stirred provided bartending service at a celebration of life in Manhattan Beach. I have done these events before working for other people, and this was the first time doing a “wake” as my own company. It was a very touching event, and I think much nicer than a standard memorial service. What a great tribute the family gave to their father who passed away.
The weather in Los Angeles has been gloomy for the past couple of weeks, but the weather was perfect on the day of this event. The house where the event was held was right on the strand, just a stones throw from the Manhattan Beach Pier. I have done parties there before and it is a wonderful place to throw a party. The hosts were expecting 50 to 75 people, but over 100 showed up, so I was busy.
I served a lot of beer, margaritas, a variety of vodka and whiskey drinks and was almost out of everything by the time we were through. The two sons of the departed gave very touching speeches about their father, as did some of his friends. I can only hope that my loved ones would do the same for me, once I am gone. It was emotional, but the overall mood was upbeat.
Friends and Family listen to tribute
A Unique Celebration of Life
Much more upbeat than a funeral
Play the favorite music of departed
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Closure for friends and family
Less expensive than traditional funeral
The owners of the house were friends of the family and they were nice enough to let them have celebration of life there. I used to live in Hermosa, and I always love returning there. I wish I had an event in the Southbay every weekend. Southbay people can usually drink, and the people at this event lived up to that reputation. Everybody held their liquor well though. It was a very nice event and the host commented that it could not have gone better, and I agree.
Son gives tribute to his father
This upcoming week I have events scheduled in Venice, in Santa Clarita, and in Hidden Hills. A good start for the month of June. Later this month I have some weddings scheduled in Rancho Palos Verdes, Sylmar, and Silverlake later this month, as well as a pre 4th of July party in Villa Park. Please follow us on Instagram.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Happy New Year!
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Pre Rose Bowl/50th Birthday Party in Manhattan Beach
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shots!
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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.
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
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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.
Shots!
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.
Shaken Not Stirred, the LA mobile bartender service did three big events last weekend. On Friday night I traveled to my old home in the South Bay to do a cocktail party that was hired for at the last minute. On Saturday, I drove to Lancaster to bartend a wedding party that I booked months ago, and on Sunday I jammed down to Hollywood to bartend a birthday party. It was a great weekend for making drinks.
The Manhattan Beach party was held at a nice home on Ardmore Street that winds through the center of the beach community. If you have never visited Manhattan Beach, I urge you to do so, because it is a true gem of Los Angeles. The party was an anniversary of sorts – it marked the day that the host was paralyzed from the waste down in a freak diving accident. He told me about it and I realized how lucky I have been, because that could have happened to me a dozen times over, in the ocean, and in swimming pools. Probably 50 or 60 people showed up for the party and I made simple vodka drinks. It was a great party and I was so glad they hired me. Hopefully I will do it again next year.
Lancaster Museum of Art and History
On Saturday, I drove out to Lancaster to bartend the wedding party at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History. It is a very nice venue and they have an event space on the roof perfect for weddings. At some point during the planning, the bride and groom decided to only serve wine and non alcoholic drinks for the wedding reception. They didn’t even serve beer. I had about five different types of wine, and as I have said many times – people will drink what is available, even if they prefer something else. I will admit that by serving wine only, it cut down on the level of drunkenness, and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Bride and groom share first dance at MOAH
LA Mobile Bartender
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Carries portable bar and table
Brings large cooler and bar kit
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Bartender and birthday host in Hollywood
On Sunday, I drove to Hollywood to bartend a man’s birthday. He had a similar reason for celebrating as the man in Manhattan Beach. He told me that he had almost died of kidney failure three years ago, and tries to do something special each year on his birthday as a survivor. It was a small party in his apartment that was attended by mostly family members, and I tried to be of service as much as I could.
This weekend I will be doing two parties – one in the South Bay again, in Lomita, and then on Sunday I am driving all the way to San Diego to bartend a birthday party. The LA mobile bartender, Shaken Not Stirred covers all of Southern California, from the mountains to the sea.
Shaken Not Stirred, the Los Angeles bartending service, was present for four different events this past weekend. This was a record for Rob Neighbors, veteran event bartender for three days. He was official bartender at a wedding in Camarillo on Friday, set up bar in Bel Aire and Manhattan Beach on Saturday, and then attended a champagne tasting on Sunday.
First of all, Friday, Shaken Not Stirred traveled to Camarillo to the McCormick Ranch to bartend a wedding. This was my second time at this venue, and it was a pleasure both times. I highly recommend this venue in Ventura County. It is a just an excellent, peaceful, and beautiful place for a wedding. The people who hired me couldn’t have been nicer. The groom was helping organize thing minutes before the ceremony. Not one person involved in the wedding seemed to be the least bit stressed, and that carried over – everything went as planned. The couple was married successfully, and I predict a great future for them, because both the bride and groom were so humble and quality people, which reflects on their parents. By the way, the parents were all there and were all fantastic people in my opinion.
Back lot at McCormick Ranch
As I was preparing for the wedding in Camarillo, I got a call from my Yelp site. A host in Bel Aire needed an emergency bartender for a daytime party. I decided I could do the event before I had to be in Manhattan Beach at 6pm. It was a children’s party in Bel Aire, complete with face painters, petting zoo, balloon makers, authentic soul food caterer, and me, the bartender. I made margaritas and poured wine, as the kids played and enjoyed the various amusements. I’m glad I took the event and hope to work for these clients again.
Portable bar set up in Bel Aire
Saturday Night I worked a Las Vegas themed 50th birthday party in Manhattan Beach. I had made some specialty drinks for the party that we planned in advance. I made “Sweet Heat,” which is a spicy vodka drink, that is hard to explain, but I would say it is a vodka margarita. People really liked it. They had a craps table and a blackjack table on hand and I think people really had a good time. The house actually looked like a real casino, and the guests were dressed accordingly.
Mock casino in Manhattan Beach
Sunday night, I rounded out the weekend by doing a champagne tasting at the Le Merigot Hotel in Santa Monica. I served a lesser known, but very established French Champagne, which was rumored to be the favorite champagne of Charles De Galle. I had a blast talking to people and serving the champagne. A long line formed as people waited to get to the Cristal Champagne table. I talked to literally hundreds of people and they were mostly very impressed by the champagne I was serving. As a bonus, I got to keep several bottles of very nice champagne, which I plan on serving at my book signing.
Another great weekend for Shaken Not Stirred. On Wednesday, I am back to Beverly Hills for a cocktail hour for one of my best clients. On Saturday, I will travel to Chino Hills to bartend for a birthday party. Shaken Not Stirred is the Los Angeles bartending service on the scene.
Saturday night Shaken Not Stirred traveled to the City of Orange to bartend a 4oth birthday party. They requested a server and I took one of my best with me. We arrived on time, but no thanks to my GPS, which took me on some convoluted route that potentially cost us 30 minutes on the road. I hate being late, and always leave plenty early – I would rather arrive way early and hang out in the area, than be stressing in heavy traffic with only minutes to go. In Los Angeles, traffic on Saturdays is murder.
The drink special of the night was the Vodka Collins. I make the drink with vodka, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda. The drink seemed to be a hit because many people kept returning for another. I also made some Old Fashioneds, and we served Victoria beer, which seems to be the popular new Mexican beer on the scene. Moet Chandon was the champagne of choice, and we also served Nero D’Avola, the red wine from Sicily.
Makeshift dance floor
The party took place in a condo and we set up the portable bar in the kitchen. We used real glassware, which was always nice. They did not hire a caterer, but instead got empanadas and finger sandwiches. My server kept replenishing the food and helped me with glassware etc. We both kept pretty busy the entire party.
Shots!
I was hired to do this party from another party I had bartended at in Orange County. I was booked to do another party in October, at this one. It is always nice when I don’t have work so hard to generate new business. I am constantly bidding on Thumbtack, Gig Salad, and leads that come from Yelp and this blog. My phone skills are much better than they were in the beginning, and if I can get new clients on the phone, I can usually close the deal.
Shaken Not Stirred has been in business for over two years and I have bartended at over 150 events. This week I have three events scheduled, including a wedding at the McCormick Ranch Home in Camarillo, a Vegas themed cocktail party in Manhattan Beach, and a champagne tasting in Santa Monica on Sunday.
Shaken Not Stirred in LA 