DOES MY EVENT BARTENDER NEED TO BE INSURED?

Why it’s the responsible decision to hire a bartending service rather than asking your friend to pass your beer.

​Events and Weddings are meant to be a happy time, full of laughter, joy and excitement. What happens if all the alcohol (which was assisting in the fun) becomes the reason for an accident such as property damage, bodily harm, or heaven forbid, a death?

Most venues require about a million dollars (give or take) of insurance coverage. With insurance coverage, the party distributing alcohol is responsible, should something bad happen to property or persons.

When looking for a bar service to provide the alcohol or staffing at your event, make sure that the company you hire already has coverage. Try to find companies (like POUR Bar Services) that have full coverage including general liability, liquor liability insurance and workman’s comp. This way, everyone is covered in every way imaginable. Be Warned: not all bar services have insurance, so ask before signing any contracts and don’t automatically assume they’re covered because they’re a bar service.

Yes, we know…weddings and events can become costly and it can be tempting to cut costs by dropping services, but think wisely on the rationale of cutting costs from certain areas. While yes, it may seem easier to buy your own beer and have your roommate from college distribute it; this is not the best option and often times it is not an option at all. Some venues will not allow individuals who are not contracted bartenders to serve your personally purchased alcohol. There are also some venues that will require you to use a bar service (again, like POUR Bar Services) and if you choose not to hire a bartending service, then you cannot provide alcohol to your guests at all. If perchance your venue does not have an alcohol policy requiring the bartenders and providers of the alcohol to have this liability insurance, then imagine what it might cost you in the unfortunate event of something bad happening. You as the host of the event (the bride and groom or sponsoring corporation, the case of a business event) would be responsible for all damages, accidents and worse. Always think on the side of “better safe than sorry”.

If you need to cut costs and alcohol is a must-have at your wedding or event, then cut the costs from something else. As tempting as it can be to go to the wine shop yourself and have a family friend serve it to your guests, if the worse case happens…you’re going to wish you hired a professional with insurance.