Stevenson Ranch – Shaken Not Stirred in LA

steveson2 — My barback at Stevenson Ranch, Maya

Last weekend Shaken Not stirred, the Los Angeles based mobile bartender service traveled to Stevenson Ranch and the city of La Verne to bartend. The month of January is traditionally slow as people are recovering from all the holiday parties, and then in February people get back into the swing of things when it comes to partying. I provided bartending services in Stevenson Ranch for a wake of sorts, and then on Sunday went to La Verne to bartend a Super Bowl Party.

The party in Stevenson Ranch was a home of a repeat customer. I bartended a birthday party for her boyfriend last year and then she called me back to bartend a party she was having as a remembrance for her father who recently passed. Her father was only 54, which is the age I will be next month. It made me feel extremely grateful that I am in excellent health and that is something I should never take for granted.

The Stevenson Ranch party got started late as many of the guests work in the car business. I have worked in the car business myself and that means late weekends and long hours. Car business people work hard and a lot of of them play hard too. I know that from experience. I set up my portable bar in the backyard and served jalapeno margaritas and a lot of Crowne Royal until nearly 2am.

laverne1 — Mobile bartender service in La Verne

Why Hire a Mobile Bartender?

Gives the host more time to enjoy guests
Bartender will help you with shopping list
Consistent, professional quality drinks
Guests are impressed
Bartender brings portable bar

For the past two years I was the bartender at a huge Glendora Super Bowl party, but for some reason they decided not to have it this year. I thought another good client of mine was going to have a Super Bowl party this year and I turned down other offers. Well, a week before the Super Bowl, I still did not have a party. I finally picked one up last minute in the city of La Verne.

I had never been to La Verne but it is pretty close to Glendora. The client’s home was in a very nice gated community right next to the Mountains. I set up my portable bar next to the swimming pool. They also hired a taco cart to do the food. I had a view of the game from where I was standing, but barely had a minute to spare I made so many drinks. I made a lot of shots too and went through five or six handles of Tito’s.

This coming weekend I have three parties starting on Friday in San Diego, back to Sherman Oaks on Saturday to bartend a birthday party and then on Sunday I have a party in the city of Long Beach. It will be a busy weekend for the mobile bartender. Please follow me on Facebook if you haven’t done so already.

Uncategorized

Burbank Surprise Birthday Party

January 30, 2017 shakennotstirredinla

burb2 — Friends and family pose for picture

On Saturday, Shaken Not Stirred provided bar catering at a Burbank surprise birthday party. This was no ordinary surprise birthday party – the birthday boy’s wife, family, and friends really made a grand production out of it. The party took place at the place of business belonging to the guest of honor, and I’m sure keeping the whole thing a surprise was no easy task.

These were show biz people and they know how to put on a big production. They had a stage, professional lighting, audio visual, and a professionally done video in honor of the birthday boy’s 60th birthday. The theme was variety show, with trivia questions, and testimonials from friends who could not attend. The guest of honor was pleasantly surprised as he stepped into production, and he quickly stepped right into it and got right into the swing of things, like a true pro.

burb3 — Guest of honor mingles with guests

I had my portable bar set up in the corner and made drinks for approximately 80 people. I kept pretty busy for most of the night. I had made a shopping list for the host, and was nervous because we almost ran out of vodka and cups. I guess from now on, I need to double the amount of vodka for every shopping list, because that is what most people request.

Plan a Surprise Birthday Party

Hire a Bartender
Choose a theme
Produce a video
Have an interactive game
Serve great food

They had a food truck outside serving food, and I forgot to get a card from them. They served great food, as so many food trucks in Los Angeles do – you have to be very good to be competitive in this market. One of the family members was a bartender, so he took over for me while I took a quick break to eat. Overall, it was a fantastic surprise birthday party, and I’m sure the guest of honor will cherish it for years to come.

Next weekend I had two events scheduled and both cancelled. That is the first time that has ever happened to me. That is why I must take deposits for every party. Luckily, I picked up another party for Saturday night in Stevenson Ranch from one of my repeat clients. I still have super Bowl Sunday available, and it is possible that I will pick up something this week. Please follow us on Facebook, if you haven’t done so already.

Anniversary Party Bartender, Party Bartenders, Uncategorized, Wedding Bartender

Summer Bar Service at Three Parties

June 7, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

stevenson1 — Ladies pose at Stevenson Ranch

Shaken Not Stirred provided bar service for two parties last weekend on the first hot days of summer. Friday it was over 100 in the the San Fernando Valley, and I traveled to Stevenson Ranch near Magic Mountain to bartend a birthday party. On Saturday I returned to Eagle Rock to bartend a Second Wedding party, while my son drove to Sierra Madre to bartend a wedding reception.

The good thing about Southern California is that it rarely stays hot, once the sun goes down. It usually cools right off and it did Friday night. It was the client’s 35th birthday party and it started at 9pm, because many of the guests were still working on Friday night. I served Mojitos, Old Fashioneds, and Margaritas. Many of the guests had a great time playing beer pong, while others danced to Pandora. Guests dined on barbecue from a local restaurant, which was really good, but I forgot to ask the name of it.It was a good example of a succesful backyard birthday party, where everyone had a good time, and it didn’t cost a fortune to put on. Guests commented that it was good to have a bar service tending the bar, because otherwise it is just chaos when guests make their own drinks.

rock2 — Bride and Groom at Second Wedding

Advantages of Hiring a Bar Service

Less waste of alcohol
Hosts can enjoy themselves
Better cocktails
Less over serving
Guests appreciate it

Saturday night I was nervous because the Second wedding, meaning the couple was getting married again and renewing their vows for the second time, was going to be an elaborate affair. I brought two servers and there were going to be 140 guests. The hosts had set up a very nice tent and tables at the home overlooking the 2 Freeway and Forest Lawn in Eagle Rock. The servers were supposed to serve food to all 140 people. Well, there weren’t quite that many people and all worked out quite well. LA Party DJ’s provided the music.

Meanwhile, my son was bartending a wedding reception in Sierra Madre by himself. This was the third party he has done for me alone and once again I got good feedback. Here is an excerpt of the email I received from the host after the wedding, “I just wanted to thank you for sending Will to our wedding. He was on time, extremely proficient and courteous to everyone. He made sure the bride and I were taken care of throughout the afternoon and kept the entire backyard free of empty glasses and napkins.We couldn’t be happier with his service and time with us on Saturday. Please extend a heartfelt thanks to him on our behalf.”

I received a similar text praising the job done by my servers. Overall it was a great weekend. This weekend I will be providing bar service for two parties in Woodland Hills, not far from the first place I ever rented in Los Angeles.

Corporate Event, Special Event Bartenders, Uncategorized, Wedding Bartender

Five Special Events in SoCal

May 30, 2016 shakennotstirredinla

Shaken Not Stirred closed out the month of May with five big special events throughout Southern California this week. I am dog tired and sore as I write this, as I served literally hundreds of drinks in the past few days – maybe even thousands. Yesterday alone I served four cases of tequila and a case of whiskey. Today is Memorial Day and I am taking it easy, but if somebody calls me last minute I will probably put on my bartender cape.

Brea Corporate Event

The first event of the week was a corporate event in Brea. I am not sure what the occasion was, but we served drinks to 200 people in the back lot of the company headquarters. We used the drink dispensers to pour margaritas, which saves alot of time. Two bartenders are needed to serve 200 people. Mariachi Sabor De Mi Tierra provided the mariachis. They had a three different food trucks serving up the food.My associate, Mia Martini helped me out, and we worked well together as always.

BREA2 — Guests mingle in makeshift food court

El Segundo Corporate Event

The following night I traveled to El Segundo to help Mia Martini with one of her gigs. Once again it was a corporate event on a weeknight (I love those). The company that hosted the event was a 3D printing company that manufactures parts for the aerospace industry. Their equipment is quite fascinating and I’m sure this company has a bright future. The caterer did not show up and when the host called him, he apparently had the date wrong. The hosts scrambled and ordered pizzas and a local El Segundo restaurant stepped up and delivered 50 pizzas and salads within an hour. This is one of my worst nightmares that I mix up a date and miss an event. That isa why I always confirm a week in advance, and again the day before.

elsegundo2 — A Hurricane hits El Segundo

Alexandria Ballroom Wedding

On Saturday night my son and I bartended a wedding at the historic Alexandria Ballroom in downtown LA. The ballroom has hosted presidents and dignitaries like Winston Churchill in the past. Once again, we were serving 200 people. The plan was to have a whole bunch of drinks already poured so the people could just grab them when they came out of the wedding ceremony. I poured a bunch of red wines and was waiting to start pouring the cold drinks until fifteen minutes before the end of the ceremony. Well, the ceremony ended 20 minutes early and we were faced with a wall of people wanting drinks. We handled it. Maxim Restaurant provided the catering and they had many delicious Russian specialties.

alex1b — My son bartending at Alexandria Ballroom

alex2 — Guests mingle at Alexandria Ballroom

Palos Verdes Wine Tasting

On Sunday afternoon, I traveled to my old stomping grounds in Palos Verdes Estates to pour wine for Jaques at Le Rive Gauche. He put out a spread of appetizers and charged people $20 a head to taste several French wines. It was a great deal and I think all of the people attending certainly got their money’s worth. He had two red Bordeaux, a white Bordeaux, a Grenache, a Champagne, and two Cotes Du Rhone reds. The Grenache, a rose wine seemed create the most attention.

Santa Monica Wrap Party

I had to quickly transition from the wine tasting and hustle over to Santa Monica to bartend a wrap party. I had to buy the ice and supplies and deliver it to the house where the party was taking place. The house was on PCH and had a weird address. The GPS kept directing me to this parking lot by the beach. If I left that parking lot, it took me twenty minutes to turn around and go back on PCH. I was a few minutes late and had to pack all the supplies around the back of the house through the sand. I barely had gotten setup when guests started arriving. I served 120 people by myself for five hours straight. I was so busy I didn’t have time to ask the name of film that they were wrapping or what is is about. Needless to say, I am tired today after five special events in one week..

wrap1 — Portable bar at beachside wrap party

wrap2 — The wrap party just getting started in Santa Monica

Next weekend I will be bartending a birthday party in Stevenson Ranch on Friday, and then have a wedding party in Eagle Rock on Saturday, and my son will be doing a wedding party by himself in Sierra Madre also on that day.

Engagement Parties, Mobile Bartenders, Party Bartenders

Hollywood Engagement Party and Stevenson Ranch Cocktail Party

April 6, 2014April 7, 2014 shakennotstirredinla

April 5^th was a busy day for Shaken Not Stirred. We had an engagement party in Hollywood, which was the second in a two part series, as we did the first one in Chatsworth awhile back. Two twins are going to be married and I was a glad to be a part of both of their engagement parties, and hopefully will be present at their weddings. Both of the girls, their finances, and their parents couldn’t be nicer people.

I brought two servers and a barback with me to the engagement party. The servers were there to just make sure plates and cups and bottles were kept cleaned up. They had a pizza truck come with a portable woodfired oven and make pizzas. I didn’t get the company’s name, but will try to get it and ad it later. There were about 85 people at the party and it went on until 2:00 am. I served pink grapefruit martinis, cosmos, and margaritas. Coronas and St. Archer were the beers of choice.

Meanwhile, at Stevenson Ranch, I had another bartender, Jessica on the scene to do a cocktail party. I double booked that date but everything turned out great. I don’t know a lot of the details, but I guess there were a lot of kids at the party, and Jessica made a selection of virgin drinks for them. She is a very dependable and competent bartender. Dependability is 90 percent in this business. I have never cancelled or been late to an event, and in fact it is my policy to arrive ½ hour early to set up at no extra charge.

Next weekend I am doing a birthday party in El Monte, then another birthday party on Thursday in Woodland hills. I have a big wedding in Valencia later this month and am taking extra staff with me on that one. I have some dates booked in May and am doing a wedding in Fillmore, where I have never gone before. I have other dates booked in June, and as far out as September, but so far July is wide open and I hope to start filling that month up. I would like to do some reunions and pool parties and a Forth of July party

. It’s going to be a hot summer! You can now follow me on Twitter.

Tag: Stevenson Ranch

Mobile Bartender Does Two February Parties