Oak Park – Shaken Not Stirred in LA

Last weekend, Shaken Not Stirred, the Los Angeles event bartender service made drinks at a wedding reception in Indian Wells, and then bartended an anniversary party in Oak Park the next day. That’s a lot of driving in one weekend but totally worth it. I met a bunch of really nice people, and imagine this – no awful ones. It was a great weekend for parties, and bartenders.

On Saturday I drove to Indian Wells, and I must say this is one of the most beautiful times to go for a drive in California. Wildflowers of purple, yellow, and orange are sprouting up everywhere, and the hills are greener than I have seen them in years. Even the mountains and hillsides around banning, look more like Montana, than arid California. I know it won’t last long – a couple of dry months and everything will be brown again, so Californians should enjoy it while it lasts.

Indian Wells is particularly beautiful right now and a perfect spot to host a backyard wedding. The hosts of the wedding party set up a very nice backyard wedding outside their condo in a gated community at Indian Wells. The hosts purchased a nice little bar at the thrift store and that is where I set up. I made Old Fashioneds and various simple mixed drinks for approximately 80 guests. Whole Lotta Love BBQ and Catering of La Quinta provided the food and they put out some excellent grub.

It was a very nice ceremony and a friend of the bride and groom was the officiant. I think backyard weddings are the way to go if you can find a good spot to put one on. This was the perfect spot and the weather was just right. The bride and groom were impressed that I was bussing tables when I wasn’t busy making drinks. I have a lot of restaurant experience and I was trained to keep tables clear. It is no big deal for me and I will do it if I am not busy making drinks. Sometimes I can’t leave the bar from start to finish, but I am happy to help out any way I can.

Hire an Event Bartender

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I drove back to LA the next day and made my way to Oak Park in Ventura County to bartend an anniversary party at a synagogue. This was a kosher event so we had to follow the rules of the synagogue. I have now done this a few times so I have some understanding of it. My son went with me to help and we served over 100 people for a quick three hour event.

326 — Anniversary party at Oak Park Synagogue

Elan Adivi, one of La’s top private chef’s provide the catering, and just by coincidence it was his engagement party. He is only 24, engaged to by married, and a successful business owner. I’m sure his parents are very proud. I had another bartender help him with a City of Hope fundraiser event Saturday night.

This coming weekend I will be doing a wedding rehearsal party at Dana Point in southern Orange County on Friday night, and then a birthday party in Laguna Niguel the next day. That will finish off the month of March and bring us into April, which is a big month for weddings.

Mobile Bartenders, Uncategorized

Five Events in Six Days for Los Angeles Mobile Bartending Service

March 22, 2017 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred, the Los Angeles Mobile Bartending service just completed a six day tour of Southern California, and made drinks for five different events. The tour started in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, moved north to Redondo Beach for St. Paddy’s day, then east to the city of Walnut, back to the San Fernando Valley, and then south again to Brea. I personally made thousands of drinks. I had help for the Brea Corporate event.

316 — Corporate event in Gaslamp District

San Diego Corporate Event

A company in the Gaslamp District in San Diego hosted an event to introduce their company and space to potential new clients. They hired me to make the drinks. I made simple vodka drinks and they had beer and Kombucha on tap. I also served wine. Napizza of San Diego served some excellent authentic Italian Pizzas and some fantastic salads. I highly recommend them if you need unique catering in the San Diego area. Solti provided some very good organic juices that I also highly recommend. Everything went smoothly and the mellow event was a good primer for what was to come.

Redondo Beach St. Patrick’s Day Party

I drove up to Redondo Beach the next day to bartend a St. Patrick’s Day party. I lived in Hermosa Beach for years and St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal down there. I set up my portable bar outside on the driveway and served drinks to around 80 guests. It was cold in Redondo Beach and I had forgotten how cold the wind can be in the South Bay. I didn’t bring a jackets, so I forgot the boy scout motto of “always be prepared.” Things warmed up however, when I made hundreds of drinks and served 5 handles of Tito’s vodka, among other things. I did not get the caterer’s card, but they served up some great traditional corned beef and cabbage, and many fine desserts. The South Bay crowd did not disappoint – they like to party down there.

Walnut 40th Birthday Party

I spent the night in my own bed and got up the next day to provide mobile bartending service for a 40th birthday party in Walnut. The clients were referred to me from another mobile bartender because she was not available that night. The party was held at a very nice house in the hills above the 60 Freeway. The band that they hired, FlashPants, was setting up the stage when I arrived. The house had a very nice bar in the backyard and the hosts had already prepped it for me, so all I had to do was serve the drinks. I was pretty busy the whole night and most of the guests were members of law enforcement dressed up like Gangsta’ rappers. The theme was 80’s and the band put on a hell of a show. That was one of the best cover bands I have ever seen. I think the birthday boy had one memorable 40th.

Valley Village Birthday Party

I went back to the San Fernando Valley to bartend a birthday party in Valley Village the next day. It was a Kosher event, so there are special preparation rules that apply. I made the jalapeno margarita mix on site and that was a big hit for the guests. The birthday boy planned the party himself and he and I came of with the drink menu and the crazy names for the drinks. I made Long Island Ice teas for the hard core drinkers in the group. The event was literally five minutes from my house, which was nice and I don’t often get to do. That is why they call it a mobile bartending service, because I have to be mobile – very mobile. I will be doing another kosher event next weekend at a synagogue in Oak Park.

Brea Corporate Event

I got one day to regroup and then drove back to Orange County to bartend a corporate event at Sigler Corporation in Brea. This is the second event I have done for them. Mia Martini, a fellow mobile bartender helped me with this one. About 100 guests showed up to view the new air cooling unit that Sigler has developed. To the guests this unit was like a Ferrari. We served alot of beer, margaritas, and vodka drinks. It was raining the whole time, but the turnout was good anyway, and the event was a success.

321 — Mobile bartending service goes to Brea

This coming weekend I go mobile again, and will be driving to Indian Wells to bartend a wedding reception, then I was get up the next morning to get to Oak Park to bartend an engagement party. Another bartender will be doing a fundraiser for me in Glendora. It is the busy Spring season for the Los Angeles mobile bartending service.

Birthday Party Bartender, Party Bartenders, Uncategorized

Palm Springs Pool Party Season Kicks Off in March

March 13, 2017 shakennotstirredinla

The Palm Springs pool party season has officially kicked off after a rainy winter here in Southern California. Palm Springs looks greener as I have ever seen it and beautiful wild flowers are popping up all over the desert – you had better enjoy them now, because they won’t be around long, as temperatures are already heading into the nineties with winter not even officially over. Last weekend I rolled into the Palm Springs to bartend my first pool party of the season.

Palm Springs is the favorite spot for people from LA to party. There are rental houses all over the Coachella Valley that have pools, that can sleep multiple people and are perfect for partying. Often several people go in on a house together and it is less expensive than staying in a hotel, and much better. For this party, which was a birthday party, the hosts owned their Palm Springs party pad as a second home.

amado4 — Guests mingle at Palm Springs Pool Party

I didn’t really consult with the hosts before the party about their shopping list, etc., so I just showed up and did my thing. They had a well stocked bar, so I was able to make a variety of different drinks, from Manhattans, Mai Tais, I brought my spicy jalapeno margarita mix. It is warm enough now to run around in swimming suits after dark in Palm Springs. I’m sure I will be doing many more pool parties out there this year, and bachelorette parties. Palm Springs is the favorite spot for bachelorette parties for women all over Southern California.

Palm Springs Pool Party Must Haves

Large and crazy pool toys
Professional bartender
Great food and drink
Plenty of sunblock
Great friends

The host told me that she and her husband had just recently started hiring bartenders and now they would never have a party without one. She said the party is so much more enjoyable for them, as they don’t have to worry about making drinks for guests. Many people have told me that, and it only makes sense. Guests can spill as much alcohol making their own drinks than what I charge. This week I am doing a cocktail party in San Diego mid week, and then will be bartending another birthday party in Walnut on Saturday. Later this month I will provide bartending service at functions in Glendora, Oak Park, Indian Wells, and Dana Point. If you have not followed Shaken Not Stirred on Facebook, please do.

Special Event Bartenders, Uncategorized

Event Bartender Covers Wide Territory of Southern California

March 5, 2017 shakennotstirredinla

hermosap4 — Guests enjoy view in Hermosa Beach

Friday and Saturday, Shaken Not Stirred, the Los Angeles event bartender covered Southern California from the mountains to the sea. On Friday, I bartended a surprise birthday party on the rooftop of a Hermosa Beach office building with an amazing view and then on Saturday I traveled to Palm Springs to bartend another wedding at the Galvan Estate. I also dispatched another bartender to bartend a fundraiser in Tarzana.

I lived in Hermosa Beach for years and I always love to return there. I was hired to bartend this surprise party by a guest from another party I did recently. The 50th surprise birthday party was held on the rooftop of a new office complex on Pier Avenue just a block from my old apartment. It was a very nice day in Hermosa Beach for a rooftop party. I had limited time to set up, but with the help of the host, made it no problem.

img_20170303_181359 — Hermosa Beach at dusk

Southern California Event Bartender

Covers all counties in Southern California
Provides bartending for weddings
Birthday parties and corporate events
Provides portable bar

I poured Cadillac Margaritas and Moscow Mules for approximately 30 guests. The birthday boy was surprised and pleased when he stepped onto the deck and saw his friends and family members waiting with a taco cart, bartender, and photo booth. Guac Taco provided the taco catering. It was a very nice evening and I think a memorable one for the guest of honor to mark his 50th birthday milestone.

palmspring4 — Father escorts bride at Galvan Estate wedding

On Saturday I drove out to Palm Springs to bartend a wedding reception. I was surprised at how green the area was after all the rain. I have never seen it that green before. I thought I recognized the address, and sure enough it was the Galvan Estate, where I have bartended before. It is a great place to throw a wedding. This particular wedding had about 100 guests and I made simple mixed drinks for the crowd and poured a lot of shots for the members of the wedding party.

palmspring3b — Staff from Fusion Flair prepares to serve first course

Fusion Flair of Palm Springs provided the catering, and they served up some excellent sea bass and filets. I will return to Palm Springs again next weekend to bartend a cocktail party, and then have events scheduled for the cities of Walnut, Brea, Oak Park, and Indian Wells later this month. As an event bartender I get to meet all kinds of great people and travel to some beautiful places in Southern California.

Birthday Party Bartender, Fundraisers, Uncategorized

Gingerbread Boutique and Silverlake Birthday Party

November 11, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

silverlake3b — View of dry Silverlake Reservoir

Last week I provided bartending service at the annual Gingerbread Boutique in Oak Park, and then on Friday bartended a birthday party in Silverlake. Both of these were repeat clients and it certainly nice to not have to work so hard drumming up business. So far I have several parties booked this month and next month and nearly all of them are repeat clients or referrals. Shaken Not Stirred must be doing something right.

This was my third time bartending at the Gingerbread Boutique. The Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club hosts the event every year and it is kind of a pre-Christmas season bazaar, and is usually quite busy. I brought another bartender to the event as I always do, and this year we served only champagne. We went through five cases of champagne by the end of the night.

silverlake1 — Guests mingle in Silverlake

On Friday, I drove to Silverlake to bartend a 75th birthday party at a hilltop home overlooking the now empty Silverlake reservoir. The weather has been fantastic for November in Los Angeles, so we were able to set up the bar outside this year. I served many martinis in real martini glasses and I think everyone had a great time.

Tomorrow I am going to my old stomping grounds in Hermosa Beach to bartend a birthday party. They really like to party in Hermosa, I can attest to that, so I expect a hard drinking crowd. Next week I am doing two corporate events in Venice (repeat business) and then a referral job in Thousand Oaks. I will have my first job in the city of Bell later this month and then the real Holiday season begins.

Birthday Party Bartender, Mobile Bartenders, Party Bartenders

Los Angeles Bartending Service Kicks off the Holiday Season

November 9, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred, the Los Angeles bartending service kicked off the Holiday season last weekend with three big events. The official start of holiday events started Thursday, when we returned to Oak Park to bartend the annual Gingerbread Boutique, put on by the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club. On Saturday, we traveled to Lancaster to bartend a 40^th birthday party for another repeat client, and then on Sunday we bartended a children’s birthday party in sunny Porter Ranch.

The annual Ginger Bread Boutique is a fundraiser and is held at Saint Maximillian Kolbe Church in Oak Park. Vendors from all over Los Angeles come and show their wares at the annual event. We served wine to almost 400 guests throughout the night. I always love to events like this and hope to do it again next year. The gingerbread boutique is the official kick off for holiday events for Shaken Not Stirred.

On Saturday I drove to Lancaster to bartend a 40^th birthday for a repeat client. I had bartended his birthday party a year earlier and he was happy with my service so he invited me back. I set up my portable bar in his backyard just like I had done before. They like to have several kinds of drinks out there, and I made Mojitos, Long Island Ice Teas, Margaritas, Kamakazies, Jaegar Bombs, and many others for this party. The weather changed drastically from what it has been, and the temperature in Lancaster dropped down to 33 degrees. Another reminder that the holiday season has begun.

Los Angeles Bartending Service

Corporate Events
Birthday parties
Fundraisers
Weddings
Holiday parties
Screenings
Grand openings
Engagement parties

On Sunday I didn’t have to drive far to get to Porter Ranch and bartend a children’s birthday party. The kids were busy in a video game truck the host had rented, so I wasn’t making mocktails for them, but made adult cocktails for the adults. I made Cadillac Margaritas and the Madras was the second drink of choice. Barracho Tacos catered the party. They had some fantastic homemade salsas, and made great tacos and quesadillas. I booked another holiday party on the spot with one of the guests, and others said they would call.

Next weekend I will bartend two parties in the Los Angeles area. I will bartend an 80^th birthday party in Venice during the day, then will travel to Glendale to do another birthday party at night. I have several company parties coming up later this month in Los Angeles, and as far away as Rancho Mirage. I am starting to book many more parties closer to home, mostly as a result of my Yelp reviews. Shaken Not Stirred is the Los Angeles bartending service that you can count on!

Mexican Wedding, Mobile Bartenders, Party Bartenders, Wedding Bartender

Three Bartending Events Halloween Weekend

November 4, 2015January 7, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred was contracted to bartend at three consecutive events last Halloween weekend. I usually write the blogs for my events on Monday morning, but was so exhausted after doing three events in a row, I am now writing the blog today on Wednesday. Friday night I bartended a Halloween costume party in Marina Del Rey, on Saturday I bartended a wedding in Northridge, and then on Sunday I bartended a birthday party in Silverlake.

For the costume party in Marina Del Rey, I broke out my Lloyd the bartender costume. The theme of the party was undead celebrities, and many of the guests really did it up. The host of the party dressed as Marilyn Monroe, and she looked uncannily like that statue that used to stand in downtown Palm Springs. I don’t know what happened to that statue, but it would be cool to make a movie where the statue of Marilyn Monroe goes berserk and terrorizes Palm Springs.

For the Costume party I made some specialty drinks that the host wanted used fresh ingredients. I can do craft cocktails that for smaller parties, but they become problematic at large weddings. Many of the guests didn’t get my costume, and I was surprised to learn that many of them (in their 20’s) had never seen the “Shining.”

On Saturday I bartended a wedding at the Rancho Cordillera Del Norte in Northridge that I had booked months ago. My associate bartender Mia Martini helped. We served Margaritas, Micheladas, and Palomas to approximately 120 guests. La Fogata Catering provided the food, and they did an excellent job. Mole was on the menu, and I must say was excellent. Mrdraxx was the DJ and he kept the crowd moving all night long.

On Sunday, I traveled to Silverlake to bartend a birthday/retirement party. I was exhausted after doing to two other events, and didn’t really feel up to par. They didn’t have a lot of room for me to set up, so they set up a bar in the home office. I made a specialty drink, “Shady Pines,” which was named after the retirement home on the “Golden Girls.” The Shady Pines was basically a Vodka Mojito with muddled cucumber, and seemed to be a big hit. I was really dragging by the end of the party, but I helped clean up as much as I could, and for me that is how I got through it, rather than just sitting there like a lot of bartenders do.

This week I have a fundraiser to do in Oak Park on Thursday, and then a birthday party for a repeat customer in Lancaster on Saturday night, and then another party in Northridge on Sunday. So another busy weekend for Shaken Not Stirred, and many more to come during the holiday season.

Fundraisers, Special Event Bartenders

Oak Park Fundraiser Boutique

November 8, 2014 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 21^st 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.

Tag: Oak Park

Event Bartender Covers a Wedding Party and an Anniversary Party