THOUSANDS of persons have had ‘BJs’ in public, thanks to a new trend that is taking the Guyanese party scene by storm.
Now that you’ve retrieved your dropped pepperpot, relax. The ‘BJ’ is just one of the specially named drinks offered by Shakers Cocktail Bar.  
Appearing at GuyExpo 2010 at only just over a year old, Shakers was announcing that it had arrived. The mobile bar can now be seen at hot entertainment events countrywide, including in the Jamzone V.I.P section at the Hits and Jams events.

Brainchild

Shaker’s is the brainchild of Canadian-Guyanese Kian Jabour. Born to Guyanese parents in Edmonton, Alberta, Kian came to Guyana at only two years old. After completing his secondary education at St. Joseph High, he returned to Canada to pursue higher education. He enrolled at the George Brown University, where he majored in Engineering and Construction. Since the plan was to work his way through university, Kian, with the help of relatives, procured a job as a bartender at an exclusive restaurant, and began studying “Mixology 101” along with his engineering and construction studies.
Returning to Guyana and eager to do something, Kian was asked by a relative to help set up a bar for GuyExpo 2010. The venture was met with resounding enthusiasm, and from then on, there was no turning back.
“People were just so interested in the concept of a mobile bar. There is a large gap in Guyana where it comes to professional bar service,” Kian disclosed.
What makes the bar so unique, apart from the mobile concept, of course, is, according to Kian: “We’ve done a lot of testing. We try to see what appeals to the public.” He is on record as saying that Shaker’s Cocktail Bar is aiming to “raise the bar” on bars in Guyana.
Boasting that Shaker’s can go anywhere, Kian says that Shaker’s can set up at your office, house, parking lot, or anywhere needed. He and his hardworking crew even did an event for a church recently, offering non-alcoholic drinks. Shaker’s has also gone to Linden, Essequibo and Berbice. 
Currently, the bar is capable of setting up simultaneously in three locations.

Recipes

Food handling techniques being one aspect of his training, Shaker’s also expanded its service to include a Crème de la Crepe, a line of sweet and savoury French desserts, along with a range of succulent kabobs. Kabob choices include “Rosemary ranch chicken”, “Honey Glazed Beef” and the “Hot and Spicy Cajun Beef”.
Shaker’s does not shy away from sharing its recipes, and has done so on menus at all events. For example, a “BJ” is made from 1/4 oz cream liqueur, ½ oz Amaretto, and whipped cream. A “Skettel” is 2 ozs vodka, orange juice, cranberry and triple sec (shaken).
Offering the full package in professional bar service includes taking care of your customers as well, notes Kian, who said that his staff’s training includes handling a drunken customer and gauging when a customer is over the limit. Shaker’s staff consists of four permanent workers and nine part-time persons, who are mostly university students. “We need to encourage persons to be at the top of the game. Going to school is necessary”.
In future, we can expect to see a stationary Shaker’s Cocktail Bar, but don’t expect Shaker’s to get rid of its mobile aspect anytime soon – Kian doesn’t believe in getting rid of the core aspect of a business.
As for Kian, despite his own engineering training, he has found Shaker’s to be a wildly satisfying venture; and he has opted to be around people having fun, rather than be on a construction site, which is definitely not fun. We both agree.

Motivation

Lately, Kian has even more to motivate him. The driving force behind Shaker’s now is his two-week-old daughter, Alayra Rehanna Jabour, the proud, new father has disclosed.
You can learn more about Shaker’s by visiting their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/shakers.cocktail.bar