Big Dog Custom Bartending

Big Dog Custom Bartending At Big Dog Custom Bartending, our specialty is creating signature drinks for your special events. We've been making drinks together since 2005.

Here at Big Dog Custom Bartending (BDCB), we pride ourselves on our creativity and our ability to make spectacular drinks just for you. Then we started making drinks for friends and family. Then we were asked to make drinks for parties at friends' houses. THEN we were asked to bartend at a fundraiser. Hmmm, we thought, this thing we've being doing for fun all these years could actually turn into s

omething. And that's when we came up with Big Dog Custom Bartending. Rich is the genius behind the drinks. Brianne makes them pretty. Rich can go into the fridge, the cupboard, and the fruit bowl, pull out different things each time, and create something wonderful...each time. Writing down recipes doesn't always happen, but the drinks are always good...and we're getting better at that writing things down part. You will never pay for the experiments we do at home, but you will reap the sweet...or salty...or sour...or bitter rewards of our efforts. We will master the drinks at home so that the cocktails we serve at your event will always be consistent. Martinis are our specialty, but Rich the Master Mixologist can do anything. Whenever possible, we use locally sourced ingredients and this works for just about everything except the alcohol. Most weekends, you'll find us at Specialty Produce or our favorite Farmer's Markets to get you the best possible ingredients. What we can make, we do because house-made is always better and more fun. We make our own Grenadine, Agave, Midori, and a variety of simple syrups. We want to make your drinks special and personal and what better way to tailor drinks to your tastebuds than by making these things ourselves? We'll take your favorite colors and flavors and design drinks just for you. You should be aware that we've been known to use a little fire and ice for a few parties and that's just fun. We want to be part of your event - whether that's a wedding, rehearsal dinner, graduation party, retirement party, birthday party, wake, or even baby shower. That's right, we make great non-alcoholic versions of our drinks, too. If you are holding a fundraiser or are a 501(c)(3), please let us know. We have special rates just for you. If you are interested in having us bartend at one of your events, you can send us a private message here or e-mail us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Lorraine Zucker! Brianne Sweeney!
04/23/2026

Lorraine Zucker! Brianne Sweeney!

10,000+ Happy Dog Lovers

Years ago, our friend sent us this fun Lo**ta Christmas martini glass and ever since, we have made a cocktail for her. ...
12/25/2025

Years ago, our friend sent us this fun Lo**ta Christmas martini glass and ever since, we have made a cocktail for her. This year, she chose a Cosmo. It’s a classic cocktail for a woman brimming with grace and class. Thank you, Diane for always showing us so much kindness and love.

It’s a late post after a late night with amazing friends. A quiet Christmas celebration before all the family celebratio...
12/24/2025

It’s a late post after a late night with amazing friends. A quiet Christmas celebration before all the family celebrations begin. has been a friend for decades and a big supporter of Big Dog Custom Bartending even in its infancy, so when she asked for a purple and green cocktail, she got a purple and green cocktail. The premise is simple - a housemade lemon sorbet martini zhuzhed up with a housemade Midori and a housemade blackberry cordial.

Fresh is ALWAYS better, so when my better half came home with a big juicy pomegranate and the most aromatic mint from a ...
12/21/2025

Fresh is ALWAYS better, so when my better half came home with a big juicy pomegranate and the most aromatic mint from a friend’s garden, we had to put them to good use. After pulling all of the pomegranate arils, we harvested the juice and dropped it into a standard gin and tonic, then garnished it with a fresh sprig of mint and more arils.

Is it too early to drink bourbon? 1) No. 2) If you’re asking, we are not your people. 3) A little bourbon helps us watch...
12/20/2025

Is it too early to drink bourbon? 1) No. 2) If you’re asking, we are not your people. 3) A little bourbon helps us watch this game. 4) Pitino is a traitor (how dare he go to Louisville?) 5) We love Pope in the CAThedral 😉 it’s our standard Manhattan, but we zhuzhed it up with a fancy Luxardo cherry.

I’ve been waiting to use our hedgehog “garnish” and since our little friend here will eat just about anything, he seemed...
12/19/2025

I’ve been waiting to use our hedgehog “garnish” and since our little friend here will eat just about anything, he seemed perfectly fit for a well-garnished Bloody Mary. We start with Bloody Mary mix and vodka over ice, we add celery salt, pepper, and Worcestershire Sauce to taste. I’m not a fan of horseradish, so it stays far away from my lovely brunch cocktail, but here’s a professional tip. If you’re getting one out and about and it’s a bit too spicy for you, ask for some pineapple juice. It cuts the spice factor while maintaining the integrity of the rest of your drink. I garnished this morning’s cocktail with a baby carrot, a gherkin. a piece of prime rib, a caramelized onion grilled cheese on a delightful Cheesecake Factory bun, a piece of Chinese sausage, a lemon wedge, and of course the traditional celery stalk and slice of bacon. Please enjoy!

My better half is brewing his incomparable Glühwein (stay tuned, it needs a day or 2 to mature), so we have extra citrus...
12/19/2025

My better half is brewing his incomparable Glühwein (stay tuned, it needs a day or 2 to mature), so we have extra citrus and spice. We never want anything to go to waste, so we leaned in to a chilled yet warm cocktail. Our citrus and spice mix combines cloves, cinnamon, hand-squeezed lemon juice, hand-squeezed orange juice, Napoleon orange liqueur, and honey liqueur. We steep these magnificent flavors for at least 24 hours and then add some Pendleton Whiskey. Drop this clove-laden orange wedge into your cinnamon stick garnished cocktail and your nose will tell you you’re in for a great treat. Our Spice Ball Lowball is staying on our list.

I’ve been trying to perfect Javier’s Martini de Pera. It’s my new favorite cocktail. Reverse engineering sometimes takes...
12/18/2025

I’ve been trying to perfect Javier’s Martini de Pera. It’s my new favorite cocktail. Reverse engineering sometimes takes a bit of time. This right here is pretty close, but I clearly need to keep trying. Pear vodka, Elderflower, housemade honey syrup, mandarin cordial, and hand-pressed lemon juice. 🇮🇱

We’re late to honoring our friends, our neighbors, and our family on this, the third night of Chanukah. But we do so wit...
12/17/2025

We’re late to honoring our friends, our neighbors, and our family on this, the third night of Chanukah. But we do so with full hearts, love, and respect. Our Blue Dreidel combines housemade lemon sorbet, gin, vodka, and a splash of hand-pressed mandarin juice. 🇺🇦

For my mom. Gone for more than half of my life.
12/15/2025

For my mom. Gone for more than half of my life.

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2658 Del Mar Heights Road, Ste 220
Del Mar, CA
92104

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