Frequently Asked Questions
(and some photos from our events)
Do You Use Amaro in All Your Cocktails?
For those that don’t know, Amaro is a type of (traditionally) Italian liqueur commonly imbibed as an after meal digestif. It’s made by macerating herbs, botanicals and aromatics into neutral spirits.
The word “amaro” means bitter in Italian, which is right next door to “amore” (love).
Not every cocktail we make includes amaro, but every cocktail we make includes amore.
The name reflects what we like about amaro itself: layered, bittersweet, complex, and a little unexpected. Our menus range from bright spritzes and classic cocktails to custom drinks built around a client’s theme, season, or favorite flavors.
What’s your bartending background?
Literally everywhere! With locations in Coachella Valley, CA and Portland, OR, Amaro brings together a team shaped by both West Coast cocktail culture and extensive hospitality experience.
Amaro co-owner Dean has worked across a multitude of states at everything from a Central Coast California Wine Cafe, classic formal French dining, and rough & rowdy dive bars. Kate - the manager of our PDX location - has developed and overseen the bar programs at several of Portland’s top restaurants. If you’re a foodie or cocktail enthusiast in the PNW - you’ve probably already tried one of her original creations. Each bartender is carefully chosen for their unique strengths and specialties, so we’re ready to match any vibe.
What specific areas do you serve?
In short, we serve almost the entire Pacific Northwest and Southern California areas.
In Oregon/Washington, we serve events in Portland and the greater Portland metro area. We are also available for events in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Oregon City, Milwaukie, Gresham, Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Hood River, Oregon Coast, the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon wine country, and the Willamette Valley.
In California, we serve Palm Springs and the broader Coachella Valley, including Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Indio, Desert Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, Morongo Valley, Pioneertown, Landers, Wonder Valley, Flamingo Heights, Rimrock, and Johnson Valley, Coachella, Bermuda Dunes, Thousand Palms, and surrounding desert communities. We’re also more than happy to travel to Los Angeles, San Diego, and surrounding areas.
We also work with clients from afar, planning destination weddings, private estate parties, bachelorette weekends, pool parties, vacation rental events, corporate retreats, and luxury gatherings in both areas.
What brands/quality of spirits do you use?
We’ve found that for a well balanced shaken cocktail, mid-shelf is the sweet spot. If you’re talking about bourbon, think Buffalo Trace / Four Roses. If we’re pouring tequila we’re probably reaching for Altos or Espolón. Vodka would be Tito’s most likely. Of course different cocktails work best with different spirits, but this gives an idea of the range we’re working with. We promise we won’t show up with a plastic jug of Old Crow (unless that’s what you’re into).
Of course we’re always happy to obtain specific or top shelf, premium spirits on request.
How do you come up with the cocktails you offer?
After speaking with the client and getting a general idea of the vibe of the event, we assess what approach to the cocktails is a priority for them. Does the event have a theme or a regional aspect to it, or would you like to pair the drinks with your food? Do you want specific driving spirits like gin or bourbon? Maybe we’re exploring flavors of Mexico, Korea or the Mediterranean, or possibly going for a tiki theme. We can even target a specific color palette.
Whatever the angle, we always offer a multitude of different options for clients to choose from - encompassing well known standards, house cocktails created by our bartenders, and even entirely unique drinks made to fit just what you’re looking for.
What about the non-alcohol drinking guests?
Our non-drinking friends are top priority and never an afterthought!
Not only do we offer non-alcoholic options at all of our events, but because all our mixers and house syrups are handcrafted with fresh ingredients, most of our signature cocktail options can be made as no-proof versions, so the non-imbibers won’t be left ordering from the kids menu.
What about LGBTQIA+ clients & guests?
We are fiercely committed to providing a safe, inviting and inclusive atmosphere at all of our events. To us this means actively taking an interest in others’ comfort levels, pronoun preferences and making sure the overall space is safe and comfortable for ALL guests at all times.
We will not be passive if we witness anyone experiencing abuse or harassment of any kind.
I want to party but I value my privacy, will that be an issue?
One of the more underrated core concepts of bartending is discretion. We walk a fine line between looking out for guests & their safety, and minding our own business. Finding the appropriate intersection of personable & professional is a skill honed by many years of experience.
Many of our clients prefer not to have cameras/phones present or social media mentions for a variety of reasons.
You’ll have to take our word for it though - because we won’t name names.
My Aunt only drinks [esoteric spirit/fancy cordial/random liqueur] - can we give you a bottle that’s just for her?
Hell yeah. Special accommodations can be made for particular guests, no problem. Is someone sugar free? Gluten free? Pineapple allergy? Let us know and we’ll work something out. In fact, even when Amaro Bartending is in full service mode and supplying all the drinks, anything you’d like to add to the bar will be incorporated and served to all guests, or just some special specific ones. Also, we would like to party with your Aunt!
Can we do a cash bar?
Let’s do a cash bar. There’s a few hoops to jump through with permitting, but it’s nothing we can’t help you out with. We charge a modest flat fee, then work with you to curate an amazing drink menu. We keep our drink prices super reasonable - no “stadium pricing”. We can also work out a system if you’d like to provide the first round or two to your guests before transitioning to a cash bar.
Unfortunately - this is only available in Oregon. In California, no such permit exists that allows us to provide and sell alcoholic beverages.
What can we do to lower the price?
We’ve been doing this for a good while now, and have our pricing pretty dialed in. As always, our costs are the main driving factor of the prices we quote. Clients may see a reduction in quotes from things like providing the beer and/or wine themselves, opting for cheaper brands, etc. Larger parties could also have lower per-guest pricing as well - as our costs scale differently as the crowd size goes up. We want to be available to everyone, so if budget is a major factor in your decision to book Amaro - let us know and we’ll do whatever we can to make the party fit your needs.
We want it a different way. Can you switch it up for us?
Almost assuredly. We’re a very small biz, and as such are really flexible. We have almost no hard & fast rules, so the sky is the limit with designing any sort of bar program you can dream up. Wanna get weird? Let’s get weird. We’ve set up shop at Renaissance Fairs in elfish garb, built a flaming Spanish Coffee station in a closet as a hidden speakeasy, and are always finding ourselves in strange and unusual situations. We’re open to any and all ideas from clients that want to collaborate.
What about deposits, payment and fees?
When you have decided Amaro Bartending is a good match and would like to partner together - we ask a deposit of 20% of the projected total. This locks in your date and makes booking official.
After the event is complete, we provide an invoice for the remaining balance. We request it is fulfilled within one week.
Our quotes are all-inclusive. We have no service fees, hidden charges, surprise add-ons or mandatory gratuity.
We request a modest, reasonable travel fee for events >60 minutes outside our base locations.
Additional costs may come up for optional upgrades such as pricey fine wines/spirits, additional staff members, etc.
What’s not included in your mobile bar setup?
For our full service packages, we pretty much bring it all - although large full-scale events may have two exceptions. We bring everything needed, except physical bar space and glassware. We’re just too small of a business to have every type of bar for every vibe, and every type of glass for all the different drinks we make. 99% of the time, these are provided by either your event rental company or venue. We’re more than happy to provide consultation on type & quantity for your glassware rental, as well as tips on an ideal & efficient physical bar setup.
For smaller events - think private backyard birthdays, office parties, bachelorettes - we can potentially provide a physical bar as well as glassware.
How far in advance should we book with you?
Ideally - the sooner the better. For a big wedding reception, there’s always plenty of details to go over and it’s nice to have a lot of time to really get things right. Although in the past we’ve pulled off some massive events with only a couple weeks notice, we find it’s a lot less stressful with a little time buffer. On average our wedding clients book 6-9 months prior to the date.
For smaller and less formal events - we can put together a custom party faster than you’d expect. A recent client enjoyed their party so much they decided to have another one the day after. With four hours notice we put together a brand new themed cocktail menu and showed up ready to party!
Your bar setup is cute, right?
The difference between an average mobile bar load out (flat display on a waist-high table with some bottles and cups) and something exceptional all comes down to the details. We apply a keen focus on facets such as dimension, texture and lighting.
Raised elements like personally handcrafted tiered risers and vintage wine boxes elevate the presentation and keep the eye moving across the space naturally.
Careful consideration of materials and textures such as walnut, marble, linen and bamboo are some of our favorites for versatile and timeless integration into almost any aesthetic.
Lamps on the bar are a given, but what about diffused lighting, spot lighting, uplighting and accent lighting? We use a mix of top-quality lights from luxury companies such as Zafferano and Zara Home.
What if We Have To Cancel?
Deposits are refundable prior to three months from the event date.
Unfortunately, bookings that are canceled after that will forfeit the deposit. This applies to both the Palm Springs and Portland area.
Portland and also Southern California? Seems random.
We have roots in both places and spend a lot of time in both areas. Portland and Coachella Valley also complement each other seasonally: Portland’s wedding season is strongest in the warmer months, while the desert comes alive for winter events, private parties, weddings, and corporate retreats.
What’s your day job?
You’re looking at it! This is literally all we do. Between the planning and the execution, a proper bar program for a big event is more like two full time jobs. We put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into every single one of the millions of little details. A full service event can entail dozens of emails & calls during the planning stages. From the moment you book, we stay available and on call throughout the planning process.
Further - we will never use generative ai when communicating or interacting with clients. Amaro is committed to a fully human experience with an experienced and dedicated team member.
Are you hiring?
Absolutely - if you’re really, really good.
Event bartending is no joke though. But if you’re free on weekends (with plenty of notice), can hoof some heavy coolers, set up a beautiful bar and still have enough left over to be super nice to people while making a great drink . . . then we should talk.
Friends of Amaro
