Close to three years ago I worked the bar at a party for the unveiling of the new Ducati motorcycle in conjunction with Lorenzo Cycles. Their shop is on La Cienega in L.A., and this is where the event took place. I was working with Bill and Emily of Conquest Entertainment, who work with John Paul DeJoria of Patron tequila in producing all of their brand-sponsored bar events here in town, as well as other things. I’ve worked many of their events over the last four years, and it’s always a pleasure to be behind the bar for them.
However, for this party, Emily was out of town on vacation, so she set me up with all the detail information by email in advance, and I worked with Bill the rest of the way on featured drink recipes and what fresh juices I needed to pick up at the store nearby the house, along with glassware and a few bags of ice to start out with, as I was told the shop was going to have more ice delivered or picked up. Patron was renting my custom portable bar with black linens, so I loaded that in the back of my truck around noon that day. It’s good to have a truck in Los Angeles.
I also had to be in contact with Joel, the manager of the cycle shop, and Chad Guerlich, who reps Lorenzo Cycles and the owner, actor Lorenzo Lamas. There was a bonus feature added to the event. Chad emailed me some release forms to sign and fax back to the producer of the show “Private Chefs of Beverly Hills”, as that night they were shooting the first episode of their second season, in the party.
The office for Conquest is in Santa Monica, just a couple blocks away from the beautiful area around Montana Ave. After grabbing everything at the store, I headed out on the road at 1:00 pm taking Topanga Canyon through the mountains, which about 12 miles later lands you right on Pacific Coast Highway. Cruising East for a few miles along the water’s edge, I made a left and went up what’s known as the California Incline, taking you to the top of the cliff and into Santa Monica.
The office is just a mile away, so I trek over and meet up with Bill. We chat for a minute about the event and he shows me the boxes of spirits product to load up and take with me, and brand swag (mats, shakers, garnish tray, napkin holder, fruit squeezers, etc) to have placed on the bar top. I hand him a copy of my new drink book “Cocktails of the American West”, which he was pleased to receive, then I began carrying things out to the truck. He said he might show up later on, and that J.P. would be there too.
Instead of taking the freeway again, I trekked down Olympic Boulevard all the way to La Cienega and into the heart of L.A., arriving in the small parking area behind the shop and through the alley close to 4:00 pm. The Food Channel show crew were already there setting up audio, video, lights, and food! I met Joel and the owner of the Ducati shop, and we took a quick walk around the interior of the store to decide on the best placement of the bar. Having quite a bit to unload, I got started as soon as possible, as the back and forth can eat up some time in a hurry.
The setting up and prepping went fine, pretty much had what I needed, and pitcherized the three featured drinks so I can shake and pour at a fast pace. I had six bottles of Patron Silver for the night, some Citronge, and a bottle of Pyrat rum to the visible side. It’s always nice to have close to an hour after the bar is ready and before showtime so I can gather and refresh myself.
I walked into the bar a few minutes before it actually opened so I can final adjust anything mise-en-place. There were many people moving around doing many things in the general area of the bar, getting ready for the production of the combination event and episode taping. They brought in a DJ who was set up about six feet behind me to the left and up two steps. The staff of the shop had to clear away some apparel racks and a few of the currently sold motorcycles, moving them closer to the walls. When you’re in the shop for this period of time, the scent of leather and rubber start to permeate.
I opened the bar a little before 7:00 pm, mainly just to get my engine going. The guests hadn’t arrived yet, but there were a few people around who were thirsty. I also had a small, clear bucket to the side full of ice and mini-waters for anyone to grab on their own. Chad had arrived. We introduced ourselves and talked about how the night was going to go. I’m never nervous in these types of settings, no matter how potentially chaotic they can be. I’ve worked so many of them. It’s easier once you know what the lowdown is, and being the man behind the bar doesn’t hurt either. It’s a comfortable barrier!
Yet, I was wondering when their ice delivery was going to happen, as someone in charge didn’t quite take the timing of that all important bar necessity to the degree that I have to in my position, which is why I prefer to just bring it all myself, but the meltage factor comes into play during a hot day sitting and riding in back of the truck for whatever amount of time. There’s many things to watch out for, but ice, glassware and product are the lifeblood of a bar, and should never be late or insufficient for the needs at hand. It eventually arrived. Mind relieved. I’m glad we didn’t have an ice bar for this event, as Patron has provided many times in the past and present.
Proceedings slowly got under way, and I found myself once again, in the rhythm and the groove of the night. In total there were probably 60 people. Fine with me. The easier the better sometimes, but it can get rockin’ with drinks, of which it did. On the fly I created another drink, the “Triple Threat”, simply by mixing all three drink flavors together. It was quite a hit! I have six different shakers for use in my bar kit, so four of them ended up getting consistent use. Camera guys were all around the bar catching some close-up B-roll of me shakin’, slingin’ and juicin’, so hopefully some of it sticks in the episode. It was interesting to watch as they shot with the shows’ stars “live” in the room, and moved about during the evening until they completed.
Racing legend, Larry Pegram, was there making a special appearance, and when J.P. showed up is when they had everyone together to start the announcements and introductions. All went well for the night’s festivities, and six more bottles of Silver gone like water. With my work for another one-off event like this, there’s always the beginning, the middle and the end. Produced like any other show for the most part, and the goal is always to pull it off. I love making drinks for people, and that’s what keeps me going !
All involved start to break everything down, including me with the bar and full side kit of floor mats, ice tubs, trash cans, product, linens, shakers, and on and on. You get to witness the dragging part of the night, when our energies go from high to low. The finish line feels good of a job well done, which certainly helps the mind during clean-up, packing, dumping and re-loading time. The producer’s assistant introduced herself to me at the bar just before taping started. She was really cute and petite, so I remembered to give her one of the Patron sleeveless black t-shirts in girl’s sizes that I had with me, packed in a box. Happy girl !
