Cheers San DiegoMobile Bartender FAQ

Our three packages start at $400, $500 and $950, and each one covers up to four hours. The Essentials ($400) is beer and wine with one bartender. The Signature ($500) is a full bar plus a cocktail we make up for your event, and it's the one most people book. The Reserve ($950) gets you two bartenders for up to 100 guests. Shorter events, corporate or otherwise, start at $250, and an office happy hour can be as short as two hours. You buy the alcohol, so it isn't in any of these prices.

Every package is exactly that: a starting point. Guest count, drink style and hours all flex to fit your event, and nothing is locked in stone. Everyone pictures their bar a little differently, so tell me what you have in mind and I'll make it happen.

You get the bartender, and we handle setup and breakdown. We bring coolers, ice, disposable cups and standard drink garnishes. Specialty or unique garnishes are yours to supply. Before the event there's a planning call, and I make you a shopping list for your party. Step up to The Signature and you get liquor on the bar plus a custom cocktail. The Reserve gives you a second bartender and a better garnish spread.

Usually not. If you're hosting a private event, providing the alcohol yourself, and your guests aren't paying for drinks, you don't need a state liquor license. California ABC doesn't issue individual bartender licenses. Their rule lets a host hire a bartender to pour the host's alcohol, as long as nothing is sold. We work this way at every event.

Your venue may still have its own insurance requirements, even when no liquor license is needed. We carry full Liquor Liability Insurance and can list your venue as an Additional Insured on request. We'll double-check your venue's specifics on our planning call so you're completely covered.

You do. We never sell it or pick it up for you. I'll send you a shopping list with what to buy and how much. Treat it as a guide, not an exact science. Every event is different and you never know which drink will be the favorite, so buy more than you think you'll need and plan to take the leftovers home.

We can also provide non-alcoholic mixers and fresh-squeezed juices for an additional cost. We show up with the coolers, ice, cups, garnishes and bartenders.

Honestly, it depends. A hundred people at a four-hour wedding drink differently than thirty coworkers at a two-hour happy hour. Send me your guest count and drink style and I'll write you a custom list with amounts. That list is free with every package.

It isn't an exact science, though. You never know which drink will be the most popular, so buy more than you think you'll need. You'll likely have leftovers of most bottles, so be ready to take them home at the end of the event.

It depends on your drink menu.

Full bar (beer, wine and liquor): you'll need two bartenders. Liquor drinks and cocktails take extra time per guest, so we recommend one bartender per 50 to 75 guests to keep lines moving. Our Reserve package includes two bartenders for up to 100 guests.

Beer and wine only: one bartender can comfortably serve up to 100 guests, which our Essentials package covers. Past 100 guests, you may need more bartenders to keep service fast.

Planning a larger event? Add one bartender for every 75 guests to keep the drinks moving.

Yes. Every bartender we send is RBS certified. RBS is California's Responsible Beverage Service training from ABC. We also carry liquor liability insurance, and your venue gets added as additional insured.

Each package covers up to four hours, and longer events cost more. Need it shorter or longer? Tell me when you ask about your date and I'll send a custom quote. Office events can book two hours.

We serve events everywhere in San Diego County. That includes San Diego, La Jolla, Coronado, Point Loma, Del Mar, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, North County, Ramona, Escondido, Fallbrook and every neighborhood in between. We're also booking events in Temecula and Southern Riverside County. Wherever your event is in San Diego County, we'll bring the bar to you.

Yes, and they get the most planning. We talk through the bar, the menu and your venue's rules on one call or a few, design a signature cocktail around the two of you, and add more bartenders if the guest list is big. More on the wedding bartending page.

Yes, that's what The Signature package is for. We come up with a cocktail just for your event. If you'd rather do a margarita, mimosa or martini bar, add fresh-squeezed juice and rims like Tajín or smoked salt for $200 and up.

Hit Check Your Date and send the date, roughly how many guests, and what kind of party it is. Then pick a package. A signed contract and deposit locks the date in.