Event Bartending 101
OVER THE LAST 8 YEARS I'VE BARTENDED OVER 100 EVENTS AND TAUGHT DOZENS OF BARTENDING CLASSES. DURING THAT TIME, I'VE PICKED UP A FEW DO'S AND DON'TS FOR PLANNING THE DRINK SERVICE FOR YOUR EVENT. BELOW I'VE LISTED SOME OF THESE FOR YOUR BENEFIT. AS YOUR BARTENDER I'LL HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE HURDLES OF PLANNING THE DRINK SERVICE FOR YOUR UNIQUE EVENT. THESE ARE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
1. No stemmed plastic drinkware
The decision on whether to purchase disposable drinkware or to rent glasses is one that every host must wrestle with. Both have their pros and cons and both are great options. That being said, there should be no middle ground. stemmed plastic glasses are rife with issues. Firstly they always seem to be made of a low quality plastic, meaning that they readily break and leak. Secondly, most stemmed plastic glasses come in two parts, with the base fitting into the bottom of the glass. These removable bases become the bane of your existence, it falls off when you lift the glass, and even when it doesn't they quickly become unstable.
2. You never want to run out of Ice
Keeping your drinks at the correct temperature is paramount in keeping guests happy and content. White wine and beer need to be gold, cocktails should have the ice required, and red wine, while usually fine at room temperature, shouldn't be boiling hot at an August outdoor wedding. While your party will continue if you run out of Pinot Grigio, if you run out off ice, every drink will suffer. Listen to your bartender's suggestions of how much ice to purchase, or leave it up to them.
3. If you're budget conscious it's ok to run out of some things
I usually recommend a select number of specialty cocktails, beer and wine. In the event that you want more, but are still budget conscious, I am of the opinion that if you run out of something, it's not the end of world. If you have 2 white wines and 2 reds, it's ok to run out of one. If you have have 3 beers, it's ok to run out of one.
4. Kegs contain A LOT of beer
A lot of people, have their heart set on serving beer out of a keg for their event. If that's the case, then I fully support it. However, kegs hold a lot of beer. A full keg holds between 124-165 beers and a pony keg holds between 62-82 beers. As long as I've been bartending, I've only finished off 2 kegs. 95% of the time kegs are returned either 1/3-1/2 full. Bottles and cans can be kept for later parties. Listen to your bartender's recommendation. Your 120 guest wedding where you are serving beer and wine exclusively may require two kegs. Your 60 person wedding with 3 cocktails, beer & wine, probably doesn't need a full keg.
5. Full Bars are overrated
It may be your dream to have a full bar at your wedding, if that's the case, then you should choose a catering company or venue that has bar service included. A full bar can give your guests a lot of options of what to drink. However, there are two major drawbacks to a full bar. Firstly, they are expensive. Purchasing the supplies for a full bar costs between $3,000-$5,000 to purchase yourself, and only large impersonal companies can provide that kind of service, with few exceptions. Secondly, when there is a full bar available to you, what do you order? Most people go back to their old standards, gin & tonic, whiskey coke, and cosmopolitans. Your guests want the drink service to represent you and your event in some way, by selecting a few specialty cocktails that reflect your personality, guests get to order curated drinks that fit your event.
6. Open bars have come to be expected
There was a time when drink tickets or cash bars were common at weddings and other events. These helped lower the cost of the event for the organizer, but have always had a bit of a mixed reception from guests. In today’s world of event bartending, open bars have come to be expected by everyone. Most event guests don’t bring much or any cash with them and for better or worse, if there is going to be a bar at an event, guest don’t expect to pay for those drinks. There are of course exceptions. For instance if an event takes place at a full service bar, drink tickets may be handed out saying, “The first two are on us!”. But if an event is being held at a home or event space, and drink service is being provided, guests have come to expect the open bar. The best way to reduce the cost of your drink service is to limit the scope of your drinks, not your guests.
7. Wedding vendors know a lot of other vendors, but not if they do the same job
As a bartender, I've met florists, wedding planners, day-of-coordinators, photographers, event designers, caterers, venues, and many more. I'm happy to make recommendations of anyone you may need for your event. The only people I don't know in the event industry are other event bartending companies.
These are some insights I've gained as an event bartender over the years. There's no right or wrong way to run the drink service for an event and there are always exceptions, but these are just a few of my thoughts and suggestions whether you select me as your bartender or not.