How much do bartending services cost in Los Angeles?

Professional bartending services in Los Angeles start around $70 per hour per bartender for a standard event, with final pricing based on guest count, event length, bar setup, and add-on services like cocktail design or full event production. Contact us for a custom quote tailored to your event.

How many bartenders do I need for my event?

As a general rule, plan for one bartender per 50 guests for standard service, or one per 35 guests for cocktail-heavy events. We help you confirm the right staffing ratio based on your guest count, bar style, and timeline.

Are your bartenders licensed and insured?

Yes. All Platinum bartenders are licensed and insured, and we operate in full compliance with California ABC regulations. When required, we obtain an event-specific ABC permit before your event date. Host liquor liability and general liability insurance are available, and additional insured status for your host or venue can be added for a fee.

What areas do you serve?

We serve Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas, with other locations available upon request.

How far in advance should I book?

We recommend booking at least 2 weeks in advance to secure your preferred staff and date, though we can often accommodate shorter timelines. Peak dates and large events should be booked as early as possible.

Do you provide the alcohol and handle the ABC permit?

We provide full bar setup, mixers, glassware, and bar rentals; clients typically supply the alcohol, and we secure the event-specific ABC permit where required. Let us know your needs and we'll handle the compliance details.

Custom Cocktail Menu Design for Your Los Angeles Event

Aug 21

Written By Jesse Owens

Custom printed cocktail menu for a Los Angeles event bar

A themed cocktail menu design is $375. That covers cocktails written around your event theme and a printed menu for the bar. The three craft cocktails themselves come with the craft cocktail packages, which start at $25 per guest at light consumption. The drinks sit in the package price; the $375 buys the theming.

What the craft cocktail packages give you

Three craft cocktails are built for the event and served with beer, wine, sodas, mixers, ice, garnishes, plastic cups and a printed menu at the bar. Pricing is per guest and moves with consumption. Light is 1 to 2 drinks per guest, medium 3 to 4, heavy 6 or more.

Craft cocktail bar: $25 per guest light, $50 medium, $75 heavy
Craft cocktails and full bar: $37 light, $74 medium, $111 heavy. Same three cocktails plus a top-shelf spirits bar

For 60 guests on the craft cocktail bar at medium, the drinks come to 60 x $50 = $3,000. Add the $375 menu design and you are at $3,375 before staff.

What the $375 adds

The package menu lists the three cocktails. The $375 themed cocktail menu design is the step above that: drink names, ingredients and descriptions written to match the occasion, then laid out as a printed menu for the bar. It is flat, not per guest, so it costs the same at 40 guests as at 200. Add it to a package at book.platinumbartender.com.

How a menu gets built around a theme

Start with the occasion, the season and the setting. A poolside birthday in August wants long, cold, low-strength drinks. A winter holiday party wants something warmer and darker. From there it is spirit base, colour, glassware and names. Two details are enough to write from: what your guests normally drink, and anything you want on the bar by name. For drinks built to order rather than batched, a mixologist is $90 per hour with a 4 hour minimum, against $70 for a bartender.

Dietary needs and zero proof

Ingredients get printed on the menu, so guests can read what is in a drink before ordering. Raise allergies at the quote stage, so the three cocktails are written around them rather than adjusted later.

For a full zero proof offering there is the wellness bar, priced flat per guest and added on top of a craft cocktail or full bar package: Classic $18 per guest for matcha and zero-proof cocktails, Premium $26 for matcha, kombucha and coconut water, Platinum Vitality $38 for the full selection with adaptogenic elixirs, collagen and bioactive peptides. On a 60 guest event, Classic adds 60 x $18 = $1,080.

Common questions

Is the printed menu extra?

No. A printed menu comes with the craft cocktail bar and the craft cocktails and full bar packages. The $375 is for themed design work: cocktails written and named around your event, then laid out. The package menu is yours without paying it.

Can I pick the three cocktails myself?

Yes. Bring the drinks you want, or hand over the theme and get three back to approve. Either way they are locked before the event so the bar is stocked correctly.

Does the menu design price change with guest count?

No. Themed cocktail menu design is $375 flat. What scales is the per guest package price and the staff count, which runs at 1 bartender per 50 guests, with a second recommended at medium or heavy consumption.

To price a menu and bar, build a quote at book.platinumbartender.com, call 310-985-3014, or email info@platinumbartender.com.

Jesse Owens