Dallas-Fort Worth
Bar Packages
Shaker Bar & Bev. Co. runs the bar for weddings, corporate events and private parties across Dallas-Fort Worth: the packages, the pours, the people and the clean-up.
4.43★on GoogleTABCcertified & insured team$15–$35per guestDFWwe come to you
What we pour
Bar packages
Every per-guest package, plus a cash bar and a straight consumption bar for events that would rather not price the bar by the head.
Non-Alcoholic Bar
A full bar experience with no alcohol: two specialty batch lemonades, a soda package, and a sparkling non-alcoholic toast.
Beer & Wine Bar
One premium beer, two domestic beers, a house red and a house white, with sodas and water.
Specialty Bar
Everything in the Beer & Wine Bar plus two specialty batch cocktails from the signature menu.
Premium Call Bar
A full spirits bar with call brands across all five categories, plus beer and wine. Many couples call this the open bar package.
Platinum Call Bar
Top-shelf across every category (Grey Goose, Don Julio, Hendrick’s, Maker’s Mark) with mid-tier wines, mixers, ice, coolers and garnishes included.
Cash Bar
Our cash bar allows guests to purchase their own beverages throughout the event. A variety of beer, wine, and liquor-based mixed drinks are available, and both cash and credit cards are accepted.
Consumption Bar
Our consumption bar provides guests with a hosted bar experience while allowing the client to pay only for the beverages actually served. Each drink is tracked throughout the event, and the client pays the complete bar tab at the end of the night.
What does a full bar package actually include?
Shaker arrives at least two hours before your event starts, builds the bar, and stays until an hour and a half after it closes so the space is left clean. In between, bartenders pour, keep the bar tidy, manage stock so favorites do not run out, and pace service so there is no queue when everyone hits the bar at once.
The part hosts underestimate is everything that is not pouring: ice, coolers, cups, garnishes, pour spouts, napkins, a water dispenser, a tip jar, bar towels. The supplies package exists because those are the items that derail a bar when nobody remembered them.
Do you supply the alcohol, or do we?
Either. A bar package means Shaker supplies the alcohol, mixers and supplies, priced per guest. BYOB means you buy the alcohol; Shaker brings the bartenders, supplies and expertise to serve it.
Hosts choose BYOB when their venue requires it or they have found a good price on the alcohol themselves, and a package when they would rather not spend an evening estimating how many bottles of tequila 150 guests will drink. Both are normal; the BYOB shopping list answers the quantity question directly.
How do we choose between the five bar packages?
Work up from what your guests drink rather than down from the most expensive tier. Beer & Wine Bar at $20 per guest is the most common starting point. Specialty Bar at $23 adds two signature batch cocktails, for hosts who want a couple of standout drinks on the menu. Premium Call Bar at $27 is what most people mean by "open bar": a real spirits bar across all five categories. Platinum Call Bar at $35 is top shelf throughout, and the only tier with ice, coolers, lemons, limes and napkins in the per-person price.
The Non-Alcoholic Bar at $15 is not a consolation tier: add it alongside an alcoholic bar so non-drinkers get a specialty lemonade and a sparkling toast instead of a can of soda, or run it alone at dry venues and family events with a lot of kids.
How far in advance should we book?
As soon as your date and venue are fixed. Weekends in spring and fall fill first on the DFW events calendar, whatever the occasion, and bar service is usually one of the last vendors booked, after the venue and caterer, which means hosts who wait often find their date already taken.
What comes with every bar package
- Bar setup and teardown, with staff on site two hours before the event starts
- Professional bartenders, one per 75 guests
- The supplies package: coolers, cups, ice bucket, tongs, napkins, straws, pitchers, serving tray, tip jar, water dispenser, garnish bowls, bar towels and pour spouts
- Stock management through the event so favorites do not run dry
- Clean-up, finishing an hour and a half after the bar closes
What it costs
Bar packages run from $15 to $35 per guest for four hours of service, with bartenders at $50 an hour and one bartender per 75 guests.
Questions
19 answered questions on wedding bar & bartending.
Read the Wedding Bar & Bartending FAQs →Bar packages
- Non-Alcoholic Bar · $15/guest
- Beer & Wine Bar · $20/guest
- Specialty Bar · $23/guest
- Premium Call Bar · $27/guest
- Platinum Call Bar · $35/guest
Bar Packages: common questions
How much does a full bar package cost in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Shaker’s bar packages run $15 to $35 per guest for four hours of service, plus bartenders at $50 an hour. A 150-guest event on the Specialty Bar with five hours of service and a champagne toast comes to roughly $6,000 including the 20% service charge.
The per-guest figure covers the alcohol, mixers, supplies package and cups for the tier you choose. Staffing is added on top: one bartender per 75 guests at $50 an hour. A 20% setup and service charge applies to the booking.
Every rate those figures are built from is published on the pricing page, so you can see where a total comes from rather than take a range on trust. Send us your date, venue and guest count and we will send you a customized quote.
How many bartenders do we need?
One bartender per 75 guests. A 150-guest event takes two, and a 250-guest event takes four. Add a bar glassware busser at $50 an hour if you are renting glassware, because collecting and washing glasses is a full job on its own.
The ratio matters most at the moments most of the room arrives at the bar within a few minutes of each other: right after a ceremony, a keynote, or when doors open. Understaffing shows up as a queue at exactly those points.
How far in advance should we book?
As soon as your date and venue are confirmed. Weekends in spring and fall are the first dates to fill on the DFW events calendar, and bar service is usually booked after the venue and caterer, so hosts who wait often find their date already taken.
What is included in a bar package?
The alcohol for your tier, mixers and sodas, the supplies package, nine-ounce cups, bar setup and teardown. Staff arrive at least two hours before the event starts and finish an hour and a half after the bar closes. Bartender hours are quoted separately.
The supplies package is the part hosts underestimate: coolers, plastic cups, an ice serving bucket, tongs, cocktail napkins, straws, pitchers, a serving tray, a tip jar, a water dispenser, garnish bowls and plates, bar towels and pour spouts. It is $275 on its own for BYOB events, and included in every bar package.
The Platinum Call Bar is the only tier that also includes ice, coolers, lemons, limes and napkins in the per-person price. On other tiers, ice is $25 per 50 lb and lemons and limes are $50 if you want them added.
Let’s get your date on the calendar
Tell us your date, venue and guest count and we’ll come back with a real quote. Reviewers say the planning conversation is the best part of working with us.