Bartenders Guide Book

So How Do You Find and Hire a Professional Bartender For Your Event

So you’re planning your wedding reception or a company event and you know you’ll want to have a bartender/s available to serve your quests those fancy blended drinks or to pour and serve a glass of champagne to help get your guests in the party mood.

Having a professional bartender for your wedding reception or party is an important ingredient for the success of any event. You want your guests to relax and have a good time and having a cocktail is a great way to get everyone to relax and socialize.

But what is a good bartender and how do you know one when you see one?

Not so long ago I was a bartender by trade. I worked for a few years as a bartender for hotels and restaurants as well as private catering companies. I worked hotel bars with a cocktail server calling out an order of maybe fifteen or more drinks and I could remember each drink and have them all ready for delivery in no time. I have worked events with a guest list of 500 people and with the help of other bartenders kept everyone served and happy.

Because of my experience working as a bartender I have a pretty good idea of what a good bartender is and what to look for when you need to hire one.

So what makes a great bartender and how do you find one you can trust to do the job?

A professional bartender is:

-Someone who shows up on time and is dressed for the occasion and even better yet can make a good blended drink.

-A professional should be able to serve your guests efficiently and with a smile!

-A professional bartender should also be able to monitor the guests so they don’t over consume.

-A true mixologist when asked should be able to tell you the ingredients for any number of drinks.

-An experienced bartender should be able to pour a good drink without over pouring.

-And an experienced bartender should be able to give you an idea of what kind of alcohol to serve for your type of event and how much alcohol to order for a specific number of guests.

How to find a good bartender:

-You can get recommendations from family and friends.

-If you’ve booked a venue ask to see their list of preferred vendors.

-If you have an event or wedding planner they should be able to recommend freelance bartenders or a bartender service that they’ve worked with.

-If you’ve hired a caterer they may have a bartender service they use or can recommend.

-But be cautious when accepting recommendations from vendors you have never done business with before. You should still take the time to check out the recommended bartender or service for yourself.

To better help you make an informed decision:

It’s a good idea to do some research on the going rate for bartender services. Go online and check out various bartender services some post the cost of their service online. Or call around for quotes.

When speaking with a freelance bartender or bartender service clarify what exactly is included in their service. For example for a freelance bartender ask if they supply their own bartender kit? For a bartender service ask about attire, licenses. Who supplies blender, glasses ice etc.

While granted this article doesn’t give you everything you need to know about hiring a bartender it will I think give you a good idea of how to begin your search and it also provides you with a couple of the important questions that you’ll need to ask and get answers to when hiring a bartender. Hopefully with this information in hand you’ll be able to find the best professional bartender-a bartender that will help make your event a success.

About the Author

Gail Wise worked in the movie business for several years on such films as Jerry Maguire, American Pie, Twister others. After leaving the film business she returned to the event industry and now owns an Event Vendor/Job Referral Service Match Me Event Services. http://www.matchmeeventservices.com

Bill Murray Bartending at Shangri-La during SXSW 2010 (Filmed by Erica Hoerl & Steph Laures)

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