Tag: wrap party

Anniversary Party Bartender, Uncategorized

Beverly Hills 10th Anniversary Party

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Bar prep at Beverly Hills 10th Anniversary party

Saturday I was honored to bartend for a 10th Anniversary party for some of my best clients. I have provided bartending services for this couple at least a dozen times at business related cocktail parties, film premiers, and wrap parties. This was the first personal type party that they hired me for and it was their biggest party to date.

Over 100 guests, including children drifted in and out during the four hour event. I served a lot of drinks very quickly. We had two specialty drinks including a Blackberry Mint Moscow Mule, and a Watermelon Cucumber Vodka cooler. I am able to make these labor intensive drinks for large groups of people because I make batches of several drinks at a time. I served out of the Moscow Mule toward the end of the party and was almost out of the Watermelon drink at the end.

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Blackberry Mint Moscow Mule

They have a pool in the backyard and hired a lifeguard to watch the kids, which is a great idea. I did another party recently where there were many kids swimming and no lifeguard. It only takes a few minutes for a tragedy to happen. Especially at a large party where alcohol is being served.

10th Anniversary Party Ideas

  • Hire a bartender
  • Invite friends and extended family
  • Hire performers
  • Renewal of vows

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    Guests mingle at Beverly Hills Anniversary party

Ella Freyinger provided the catering and she did a fantastic job, as always. I have worked with her before. This time they had barbecue chicken, tri tip, hotdogs and hamburgers for the kids, and a whole variety of summer side dishes, appetizers, and desserts. There was plenty of food and friends and family attended the 10th anniversary party from around the country.

I have a wedding coming up next weekend in Lancaster, but that is the only thing I have scheduled for this week. I was thinking that it is kind of slow, and I checked my schedule for last year around this time. Actually it was even slower for Shaken Not Stirred last year. It will pick up soon enough because before you know it the holiday season will be here. I have already booked some parties in October, November, and December, and have had inquiries for New Year’s Eve. and January. It is never too early to book your holiday parties. I am starting with a new booking service, and they say they will book me more work than I know what to do with six months in advance. I may have to hire some more bartenders.

Uncategorized

Green Room Bartending and Wrap Party

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Beautiful spring day in LA
Beautiful spring day in LA

Last night, Shaken not Stirred wrapped up a three part event at  a production facility in Los Angeles.  Last year, we bartended a screening event in Hollywood, and were contacted by the same people to do the  studio events. It was a great experience and unfortunately the show wrapped for now. Hopefully they will do more episodes in the future, and they will need bartending service again.

I set up a portable bar in the green room, which was a converted sound stage where they had put out lounge chairs and monitors for VIP guests to relax and watch the live taping. The show was a sketch comedy and was very funny. Always at live tapings, they have a comedian warm up the live audience and the guy they had was great. I also was able to watch the rehearsal on the monitors in the green room.

I bartended the first night, and then I had one of my other bartenders do the second night, because I was already booked on a birthday party. He showed up and did a great job. I was able to show up and help him out, just as he was wrapping up for the night. The crowds got larger at each event.  I hope to do more of this kind of business, and am currently talking to someone at one of networks to do a high end cocktail party.

Guests relax in green room during taping
Guests relax in green room during taping

Last night they had the wrap party after the tapings ended. I would guess that there were at least 150 people at the wrap party. I was very busy pouring wine and beer by myself, though they did bring in someone to help me near the end. I had six different types of beer and my biggest challenge was keeping them all cold with the limited coolers I had. We ended up with two cases of beer left over at the end, and one bottle of wine. That was pretty good guessing on the party planner’s part.

Tonight I am bartending at a fundraiser at a private home in La Canada. This is for a repeat customer. Shaken Not Stirred has been in business for less than two years, and I am starting to get much repeat business, which I love. Tomorrow, I will travel to Porter Ranch to bartend a birthday party/fight night event. I still have May 16th and May 23rd open and I am available to bartend on those dates.

Hollywood wrap party
Hollywood wrap party
Christmas Party Bar tenders

Busy Holiday Party Season for Los Angeles Mobile Bartender

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downy3
Snow in Southern California

The Los Angeles mobile bartender service, Shaken Not Stirred provided mixology for two parties last weekend. Saturday night, I traveled a full five minutes from my house to bartend a holiday party in Valley Village. Then, on Sunday, I traveled to Downey do bartend a holiday/company party. I love doing back to back parties and wish it was like this every weekend.

I have spoken with different hosts about holiday drinks and I must admit, I didn’t have many ideas. The holiday cocktails I saw online didn’t inspire me for one reason or another. Either the drinks seemed too fancy for their own good, or required too many ingredients for large parties. I wanted to develop something on my own, and I think I have finally found it.

The host of the Downey party wanted something festive. I tried to develop a Candy Kane cocktail using vodka, Crème De Menthe and grenadine, with a Candy Kane garnish. In theory it would be a layered drink with Christmas colors. I tried it at the Saturday night cocktail and the response was less than favorable. I heard people liken it to Nyquil, and Scope. I served it as shots. I set two shots up on the bar and a guest asked me, “What’s this?” “Christmas shots,” I said. “Yeah, but what are they called?” he asked. “Christmas shots,” I said very straight faced. He thought that was hilarious.

Christmas shots
Christmas shots
Shots!
Shots!

Los Angeles Mobile Bartender Invents New Drink

Anyway, so the Nyquil shots were a dud (though people kept drinking them). I had a backup plan and that was homemade ginger syrup. I call it Santa’s Syrup. I mixed well with vodka, whisky, tequila, rum, or gin. People loved it at the party Saturday night, and people loved it at the Sunday party. I was mainly mixing whiskey with Santa’s syrup, bitters, and a club soda. Another great drink was with tequila, fresh lime juice, and club soda. I will bring Santa’s syrup with me to all future holiday parties.

Santa's Syrup with whiskey in Downey
Santa’s Syrup with whiskey in Downey

This coming weekend I have a Christmas party scheduled in the city of Corona. I am working on a big party later this month where I will have to provide servers and a griller and I hope I get it.  I sent another bartender to do a wrap party for a client in Studio City and he said it was a huge success. I am still available for New Year’s Eve, and will be working hard this week to get a gig. Stay tuned from more tales of the Los Angeles Mobile bartender.

Shots!
Shots!
Birthday Party Bartender, Christmas Party Bar tenders, Special Event Bartenders

Three Event Weekend for Los Angeles Special Event Bartenders

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This was a three event weekend for Shaken Not Stirred in Los Angeles special event bartenders. Friday night we had two big events in Studio City and Hollywood. I bartended a 21st birthday party at a home in Studio City and I sent two bartenders to bartend a wrap party at the rooftop of the W Hotel in Hollywood.  On Saturday night I traveled to Yorba Linda in Orange County to bartend a company Christmas party. From all accounts, the three events were a smashing success, literally and figuratively.

Studio City 21st Birthday Party

I had met with the guest of honor in advance and he had some specific cocktails he wanted to serve at his party. We came up with a list, including the Mai Tai, the Coconut Pie, and most importantly, the Flaming B-52 shot.  I had never done the flaming shots before, and I got plenty of practice at this party. I spent half the night pouring and lighting Flaming B-52 shots.

The Flaming B-52 is made with Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Gran Marnier, and topped off with a dash of Bacardi 151. You light it up and the guest drinks it quickly through a straw. I felt kind of like the guy in the Deer Hunter who loads the gun for Russian roulette, each time I would light a shot up. The birthday boy seemed to have had a great time and turning 21 is a big deal in anyone’s book.

Friends celebrate a man's 21st birthday
Friends celebrate a man’s 21st birthday

Hollywood Wrap Party Featured Special Event Bartenders

After I had already booked the party in Studio City, one of my best clients contacted me and wanted me to bartend a wrap party in Hollywood. I sent two of my best bartenders to do that one. I was not going to ditch the first person who had contracted with me for that date to do a potentially more glamorous party. I don’t do things that way. I had total faith that the bartenders I sent to Hollywood would deliver and they did.

The wrap party had Don Julio sponsor the tequila and they had a rep on hand mixing Paloma Margaritas, made with grapefruit juice. I worked with the coordinator and we developed a list of three other margaritas to serve: The Prickly Pear Margarita, the Cucumber Margarita, and the Jalapeno Margarita.  I made the cucumber syrup, and the Jalapeno juice for two of those drinks, and word has gotten back to me that the drinks were a hit.

Yorba Linda Company Christmas Party

Saturday Night I bartended a company Christmas party in Yorba Linda, in the heart of Orange County.  I had spoken briefly with the host about a drink menu and shopping list, but we didn’t ever come up with anything definitively. I think she was super busy arranging the party, as she hired a caterer, a magician, blackjack dealers, a Santa, and me the bartender.

Santa hands out gifts to kids in Yorba Linda
Santa hands out gifts to kids in Yorba Linda

Anyway, I had very limited supplies to work with, but I made the best of it and developed my own drink with rum, triple sec, fresh lime juice, and soda, which I called the Christmas Fizzle, and it was a hit. The host requested a Bloody Mary and I had no tomato juice, or anything, so I improvised a Bloody Mary with Tapatio, olive juice, and vodka. She loved it! Now, that is a mixologist. (I hate that word).

The caterers on the event were Exciting Events out of Temecula. Their Jamaican shrimp appetizers were incredible, and so was their tri-tip with sundried mash potatoes. Their food was way above average as far as caterers go, and I highly recommend them.

Shots!
Shots!

Special Event Bartender Busy in December

The people who hired me to bartend the 21st birthday party in Studio City wanted to hire me again for a wrap party next weekend. Unfortunately, I am already booked for another party in Valley Village. I think I have found another bartender for them, though it was difficult. All the bartenders are already booked for most of the dates in December. I just booked another holiday party in Redondo Beach on Thursday, which is my old stomping grounds. Call me if you still need bartenders for your holiday parties, wrap parties, or just plain old get togethers.