San Gabriel Valley – Shaken Not Stirred in LA

Diamond Bar Center Wedding, 2018

August 14, 2018 shakennotstirredinla

august11 — Notice Groomsmen in the Background

Saturday Night, Shaken Not Stirred traveled to the Diamond Bar Center to provide bartending service for the fifth time at the venue. Diamond Bar Center is maintained by the City of Diamond Bar and is an excellent venue with scenic views and smart landscaping. I am always happy to go back there and like working with the system they have there for vendors.

The bride and I had done much planning for this wedding, as we went back and forth on the drink menu and shopping list in the months prior to the wedding. It is always nice that after much planning, everything comes together and is over with in a few hours, just as planned. For this particular wedding, the lighting and color coordination in the ballroom looked especially nice. I credit the wedding planner, DreamsComeTrueWedding.

august11b — Storybook Wedding at Diamond Bar Center

For this wedding we had a two bar setup, with one bar outside the dining room for the cocktail hour, and then we moved inside to another bar for the main reception. The Diamond Bar Center has two very nice portable bars, and the staff and security there helped us move everything. Within 15 minutes we were able to break down the first bar and move it into the second dining room bar.

Diamond Bar Center Venue

Dining Room can accommodate over 300 people
Bar service is limited from 6pm until 10pm
Scenic views of San Gabriel Valley
Large outdoor patio area
Two portable bars available

We made several different easy cocktails for the guests, including Jameson and Ginger, Cactus Coolers, and Cosmos. Many of the guests were not drinking alcohol, and we had plenty of options for them, including Mango juice, orange juice and sodas. Part of bartending wedding is making Shirley Temples for the kids, and we made plenty of those at this wedding. Another successful wedding for Shaken Not Stirred at the Diamond Bar Center.

august11c — Large Dining Room at Diamond Bar Center

The next three weekends in a row I will be going to the Palm Springs area to bartend a couple of birthday parties, and a wedding. I also have a baby shower and a corporate event to do in Los Angeles, and a going away party in Lake Forest. There was a slight chill in the air this morning, which signals fall is coming. My favorite time a year for doing events. Please follow us on Instagram.

Mexican Wedding, Uncategorized

Diamond Bar Center Wedding, Part Four

November 22, 2017 shakennotstirredinla

db12 — Outdoor Cocktail area at Diamond Bar Center

Last Friday Shaken Not Stirred provided bartending services at the Diamond Bar Center, and it was the fourth time I have been there. It is a great venue for weddings, or any other kind of large events. The extensive grounds around the Diamond Bar Center are also known as the Diamond Bar Kajukenbo, and it is an excellent place to walk dogs, take photos, or just enjoy nature. Since then, I booked another wedding at the center next summer.

Since the wedding party was held on the weekend before Thanksgiving the traffic in the LA area was horrible – way worse than usual. It took me two solid hours to get there, and it is only 35 miles from my home. The bride and groom were even late coming from the church, as were most of the guests. We were supposed to start serving at 5:30, but most of the guests didn’t arrive until six.

db13 — Photo ops at the Diamond Bar Center

There were 200 guests in attendance, and that requires two bartenders. I brought a trainee with me who had no experience bartending with cocktails. She did fantastic. She picked it up very well, and once all the guests finally arrived we were busy for five solid hours. We served out of beer a half hour before last call, and when we were finished we had a half a bottle of vodka left and two bottles of tequila. That was it.

Diamond Bar Center Wedding Parties

Sweeping views of the San Gabriel Valley
Outdoor space for cocktail hour
Large space for wedding ceremonies
Large dining room can fit over 300 guests
Large kitchen and ice machine

The Diamond Bar Center has a strict protocol on how bartending service must be executed. It is no big deal, really. Basically the alcohol has to be locked up in the kitchen until one half hour before the cocktail hour. Security then unlocks everything and escorts the bartender to the bar. Alcohol service is limited to five hours, at which time security escorts the bartender back to the kitchen with remaining supplies. It’s a good policy I think and then gives some of the guests some time to sober up during the last hour or two of the reception.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’m going to spend time with family, rather than do a bartending job. There were inquiries, but declined them. I have spent too many holidays away from my family over the years working. Next month will be extremely busy. I have another wedding party this coming weekend in Fontana, and then after that the December holiday parties start. Please follow us on Instagram.

Birthday Party Bartender

Moroccan Themed Birthday Party in Glendora

February 8, 2015February 8, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Served traveled to Glendora on Saturday night to bartend a Moroccan themed birthday party. The hosts had a fantastic tent set up in their backyard that looked like something out of 1001 Arabian nights. They also had a very nice backyard bar for me to work from. It was raining when I got there, but that’s what tents are for, right? The rain subsided, and the guest started arriving. I think the party was a great success.

The host and I worked together on an extensive drink menu that included eight specialty drinks and just as many shot choices. The Moroccan Mint Martini, was the tip choice of the night. The drink includes, vodka, muddled mint leaves, simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and a splash of orange juice. It has a very nice color and looks good in the martini glass. I also made Cosmo’s, Lemon Drops, Appletinis, and cucumber margaritas.

This party was all about shots. I started the trend by making different specialty shots and setting them out. The favorite one was the Woo Hoo, which had vodka, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice. The Washington Apple was popular, which has Crown Royal. Cranberry juice, and apple pucker. I also made Lemon drop shots, and by the end of the night, Monster & vodka shots. I served four handles of vodka.

The DJ was Benny Boom, of the San Gabriel Valley (909) 767-9291. He passed my DJ test and gets to appear on this blog. He didn’t play YMCA, Happy, or the Cupid Shuffle. I think many DJ’s lack imagination and just play the same mix at every party. This DJ was above average in that respect and he really got the party going. By the end of the night the dance floor was full. The shots also helped in that respect.

Next Saturday is Valentine’s Day and I will bartending a wedding in West Hills, and am taking two servers with me. I was looking at my schedule for next month, and I have three events in Palm Springs, and they are all on Fridays, so, I can book Saturday night events on those weekends. I also have a wedding in Santa Ynez, where I have never been before and am looking forward to it. In March, Shaken Not Stirred, the Southern California mobile bartending service will be logging a lot of miles.

Mobile Bartenders

Mobile Bartender Services Super Bowl Party in Glendora

February 2, 2015 shakennotstirredinla

Airplane fuel, AKA "Fireball" — Airplane fuel, AKA “Fireball”

Shaken Not Stirred, the Los Angeles mobile bartender, traveled to Glendora to bartend at a Super Bowl party on Sunday. As, you know, the super bowl is pretty much a national holiday in the United States, and a big day for partying. Only, the Fourth of July may be a bigger drinking holiday, than Super bowl Sunday. The weather in Glendora could not have been nicer for the poolside Super Bowl Party, and the back yard was decked out with two bars, tents with projection televisions, and televisions at the bar.

I do all kinds of events and parties and work behind all kinds of portable and fixed bars. The bar in Glendora could seat at least twenty people and so it reminded me of working behind a real bar, when I did that. Often a bar that long will have two bartenders behind it to keep on top of things. There were around seventy people at the party, so I kept busy.

Why Hire a Mobile Bartender?

You can mingle and enjoy your own party
Impress your guests
Avoid losses from theft and breakage
Let a pro help you with a shopping list
Avoid overserving

I made some of my specialty drinks, and then I made many others. The host had a pretty wide range of liquors and mixers, so I could fulfill almost all requests. I made more Bloody Marys than anything else. The bloody Mary mixes that they put out are pretty good, and I like to add Worchestershire sauce, Tabasco, fresh lime juice, and olive juice. The bar had a tap and we went through one whole keg of Coors Light and I tapped another one.

The game was very good and kept people’s attention right up until the last minutes. I have seen many Super Bowls that were blow outs, where people lost interest in the game before half time and this wasn’t one of those for sure. Towards the end I served many Fireball shots and shots of Tres Generationes tequila. It was a fun crowd, and I think the host and his guests were very happy. I know I was.

On Saturday, I travel to Glendora again, to bartend a birthday party. This makes two events in one week in the San Gabriel Valley for the mobile bartender. It is unbelievable the number of weddings that are coming up and a bit overwhelming. I have been talking to so many brides and helping them plan their beverage service for their weddings. I have also been helping people plan their birthday parties. This is one area where I am very experienced, and can help you save money and time on your shopping list.

Party Bartenders, Quinceanera Bartender

Los Angeles Party Bartender Service Goes to San Dimas for Quinceanera

September 21, 2014September 21, 2014 shakennotstirredinla

Los Angeles party bartender service, Shaken Not Stirred traveled to San Dimas in the San Gabriel Valley to bartend a quinceanera at the San Dimas Community Center. The San Dimas Community Center has a very nice facility to host parties at and there were over 100 people in attendance. They had one of those portable bars on wheels set up for me when I arrived and the bar was stocked with tequila, vodka, Malibu rum, and I had several coolers full of beer. This was the second quincinera I have done in the past two months.

I was very busy the whole time, and I usually recommend two bartenders for events this size. There is barely time to restock beer, ice, and cups etc. I must have poured 200 Shirley temples and Roy Rodgers for the kids and I also made virgin margaritas. I brought some of my cucumber syrup and made cucumber margaritas, which were a hit. I also made a drink I called the “Cucumber Soda” with vodka, cucumber syrup, and soda water. I served out of Modelo, Corona, Tecate, and Budweiser, but we still had some Bud Light and Coors Light at the end of the night.

As a Los Angeles party bar service I am learning that there is an ongoing stream of events year round that need bartenders. The weather is nice in Southern California, so weddings keep happening year round, and birthday parties, Quinceaneras, corporate events, anniversaries, Bar Mitzvas, and cocktail parties. Shaken Not Stirred serves pretty much the whole Southern California area. I have done parties and events in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Kern counties. There is plenty of work to go around for many bartending services.

Next weekend I will be in Palm Springs to bartend another wedding at the Cree estate. I hope to pick up another event in the Coachella Valley on Friday night, and/or Sunday. It would be nice to do multiple events in the area if I am going to be out there. The first weekend in October I will be busy close to home with events in Calabasas, Venice, and Porter Ranch, then I will be doing another wedding in Temecula the next weekend.

I schedule in December is currently open and I know it will fill up fast as people start booking holiday parties. I hope to book some repeat customers from last year, and will probably send a newsletter out. I have changed my policy on checks and will no longer be accepting checks. I received a bad check for a wedding I recently did, and I don’t know if it was a mistake or what, but I am having a hard time collecting it. Business is good, but not that good, where I can absorb bad checks. I still happily accept cash or Paypal.

The princess of the Quincinera and friends

Fiesta Bartender, Quinceanera Bartender, Video

Private Bartender Attends El Monte Quinceanera

August 31, 2014September 21, 2014 shakennotstirredinla

Last night, Shaken Not Stirred, the private bartender service was honored to bartend at his first Quinceanera in El Monte. For some reason I thought I was going to bartend a wedding, but when I got there I discovered it was a Quinceanera. I was scheduled to arrive at four and arrived at 3:45 and there were already probably 100 people there. I panicked and thought that I had mixed up the times, but was informed that I wasn’t. It was hotter than blazes in the San Gabriel Valley and I set up my portable bar under a tent.

I started bartending immediately after setting up and I served Coronas, Modelos, and a variety of mixed drinks. Margaritas were the most popular, and I brought some of my special mix. I made many margaritas with that and then used regular margarita mix after that. I went through several bottles of tequila and served a lot of Jack Daniels. It was hot and we ran out of ice half way through. Somebody ran and got more ice.

I booked another Quinceanera for September on the spot and was given a deposit. That was my one remaining Saturday in September that wasn’t booked, so that worked out well. There were many people at the party that spoke only Spanish, and I know enough Spanish to get by. There were some men there playing guitars and singing. I asked them to play my favorite Spanish song, Cucaruca tu, and they happily obliged. I remember once being in Acapulco at a bar and the guitar player was pissed off because the American kept requesting “La Bamba.” I asked him to sing Cucaruca Cu, and he was so happy – he sang his heart out.

Today I am private bartender to a backyard party in Redondo Beach, a community where I have a lot of history. I was bar manager at Frascati Ristorante on PCH before it closed, and have worked off and on for Le Rive Gauche in Palos Verdes Estates. I am leaving tomorrow for Montana for a week vacation, then have a cocktail party the first day back in Beverly Hills. Autumn is my favorite time of the year and am looking forward to bartending many nice events.

Baptism Party

Hacienda Heights Baptism Party

February 9, 2014 shakennotstirredinla

The occasion was the celebration of a baptism. The guest of honor was one year old and attended her party along with approximately 100 other guests. I bartended, and it was my first baptism party. It appeared to me that the party was a great success, and we ran out of liquor – two times!

The hostess hired me and we made a shopping list together. I had made a list for 60 people, but I guess 100 ended up showing, so we were a little short of supplies. I have lists already made up for various numbers of people, with the prices, so If you need help with a shopping list, just ask me. We can adjust it for what you want to serve and your budget.

In the past, people have wanted to do Mojitos, and I have discouraged them, because Mojitos are a labor intensive drinks that are troublesome when serving large groups of people. I have a new policy at Shaken Not Stirred – just say yes! Mojitos are made with rum, fresh mint leaves, fresh limes, simple syrup, and club soda. I decided to make large batches in a blender and that worked fine. I served all of the Mojitos within the first two hours of the party.

For the rest of the party, I made Margaritas, Jack and Cokes, Tequilla Sunrises, and Bay Breezes. Someone went to fetch more liquor and beer around 8pm, and by 10 pm we were down to beer and champagne. I hope to do more baptism parties. I have a wedding coming up in Mira Loma next month, and another birthday party in Ontario. I seem to be doing many parties in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire. Book your parties and events today, because the spring schedule is filing up fast.

Ingredients for Mojitos including fresh mint leaves

Birthday Party Bartender

Pomona Birthday Party

February 2, 2014February 16, 2014 shakennotstirredinla

I started February off with bang as I bartended a birthday party in Pomona. The party was set up by the pool in the backyard. They had a great setup for parties, and as it gets warmer, I can imagine they will have some fantastic pool parties – if the neighbors don’t get fed up with the noise. I would say 40 plus people were in attendance, and it appeared to me the party was a great success and it was still going strong when I left at eleven.

They had one of those portable plastic bars that I have used at banquet halls. I looked into buying one, and they cost over $3000 new, and I would need a van to transport it. They are always great to work with because they have a built in ice tub, and room for all the mixers, garnishes, etc. They also had a keg set up with the coil cooling system and C02. They had Heineken on tap and it poured like a dream.

Mai Tais seemed to be the drink of the night, followed by Jack and Coke. I poured many shots of Patron and I went through a 1.75 liter bottle, just doing that. They had their own tents, patio heaters, and a DJ set up, so once everybody ate, the dance floor heated up. In addition to the DJ, they had two live acts perform. I meant to get those people’s cards, but they left before I got a chance. If you look around my blog, I have added the links to many great performers, including DJ’s, acoustic guitar players, steel drums bands, and Mariachis.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday and I don’t have any Super Bowl parties booked. It seems that people are often looking for female bartenders for the football game. I do have some great female bartenders who often work for me, and I can send them out if I get some advance notice. I usually do last minute gigs myself, and if someone calls me today, I will probably go out.

I am booking many weddings for the Spring now. I have weddings booked now for every month up to October. I will be going to Valencia, Mira Loma, Palm Springs, Camp Pendleton, Temecula, and Fillmore for weddings. My business seems to be picking up considerably and I am looking forward to a great year. Book your party now, to avoid last minute panic.

Wedding Bartender

Diamond Bar Center Wedding

July 16, 2012 shakennotstirredinla

Saturday, July 14^th was the date of a beautiful wedding at the Diamond Bar Center. Shaken Not Stirred manned the bar and served cocktails to 160 people. I did this one by myself – something I don’t recommend for that many people, but I did okay with the help of some of the catering staff, the staff at the Diamond Bar Center, and some of the bride’s maids.

It was a very hot July day and as I was setting up the bar outside I wondered if the ice would melt before the wedding was over. As the sun went down though, a cool ocean breeze blew in making it a perfect night overlooking the San GabrielValley. People were waiting at the bar 20 deep and I was busting my hump making martinis and pouring beers, but in the end I think everyone was happy.

The bride and groom worked with me before hand and we made a cocktail menu consisting of the Appletini, Pomegranate Cosmo (my signature drink), and the ever popular Margarita. We also served Jack Daniels, and I made the various drinks popular with that. For beers the groom chose Pacifico and Shock Top, and it was a toss up to know which one was most popular. We had four cases and the beers were completely gone by the end of the party.

The Diamond Bar Center is an excellent location for a wedding or any event. They have a first class kitchen, a portable

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bar and large dining area. At this particular wedding 17 tables were set up with the finest table clothes ect. There is ample parking and a fantastic view of the San Gabriel Valley. I hope to do many more events at the DiamondBar Center.

Somebody asked me at the party as he took my business card if Shaken Not Stirred only serves the Los Angeles area? Let me clarify this – Shaken Not Stirred serves the entire Southern California area, including: Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and even San Diego counties. We will travel to Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, or even Barstow for a great event. Call today and plan your event because I am booking up August and even into October already.