Dry-Hire Bartending in Oklahoma
Dry-hire bartending is a bar service where you purchase the alcohol yourself at retail price and the bartending company supplies everything else — licensed bartenders, bar planning, setup, service, and cleanup. The Walters is a dry-hire bar service for weddings, corporate events, and private parties across the Oklahoma City metro.
You buy the bottles. We bring everything else — the licensed bartenders, the plan, the bar, the service, and the cleanup. And whatever your guests don’t drink goes home with you.
You buy the alcohol.
We do the rest.
We build your shopping list
Tell us your guest count, your venue, and what you want poured. We run it through our alcohol purchasing calculator and hand you an exact list — how much liquor, beer, and wine to buy, and in what sizes. No guessing, no over-buying.
You buy the alcohol at retail
You (or your venue, or another authorized host) purchase everything on the list at retail price. Nothing runs through us, so there is no markup on a single bottle — you pay exactly what the store charges.
We run the bar
Our licensed, insured bartenders arrive early, set up, serve your guests for the full event, and clean up after. Whatever is left over at the end of the night is yours to take home — because you bought it.
One short list
is yours.
People searching for dry-hire are usually trying to work out where the line falls. Here it is, plainly. Your side of it is one item long.
Everything but the bottles
- Licensed, insured professional bartenders
- Bar planning and your custom drink menu
- The alcohol purchasing calculator and shopping list
- Setup before service and cleanup after
- Bar tools, shakers, jiggers, and service equipment
- Portable bar, ice, mixers, garnishes, cups and glassware (available as add-ons)
- Travel — included up to 20 miles beyond Central Oklahoma City
You bring
That’s the whole list — and we hand you exactly what to buy before you go.
The alcohol itself — bought at retail, from our list, at no markup
Nothing runs through us, so you pay exactly what the store charges — and every unopened bottle goes home with you.
Why a dry-hire bar
works in your favor.
Licensed · Insured · No markupYou keep what you don’t pour
Because the alcohol is yours, leftovers go home with you rather than back onto a truck. A bar that sells you drinks keeps the surplus; here you keep it.
No markup on a single bottle
You pay retail because you are the one at the register. There is no beverage margin built into your bar, and nothing about your drink list is steered by what is profitable for us to pour.
You control the quality
Want the good bourbon for the toast and something sensible for the well? That is entirely your call. We build the list around the drinks you want, then pour exactly what you bought.
Licensed and insured, properly
Our bartenders hold Oklahoma’s Event Bartender license through the ABLE Commission, and The Walters carries both liquor liability and general liability insurance. Venues ask for this — we have it on file before we arrive.
Your venue stays happy
Most Oklahoma venues have firm requirements about who is allowed behind a bar and what paperwork has to exist first. We work inside those rules routinely and can send your venue our certificates directly.
It is how professional bars here work
In Oklahoma, mobile bar companies cannot sell alcohol — so dry-hire is not a budget workaround, it is the standard model for a professional event bar in this state.
Dry-hire bar service across the OKC metro.
Based in Oklahoma City, with travel included up to 20 miles beyond Central OKC. A little farther out? Ask — we love a good road trip.
Planning a specific event?
See the event showcase →Every bar we run is dry-hire — so whichever way you came in, this is how it works. For weddings, see wedding bartending in Oklahoma City. For birthdays, graduations and backyard parties, see event bartenders in OKC. For companies, see corporate bar packages. If you run a venue, see venue bar staffing. Budgeting first? Read our guide to what a wedding bartender costs in Oklahoma City.
Questions,
answered.
What does dry-hire bartending mean?
Dry-hire bartending is a bar service where you purchase the alcohol yourself at retail price and the bartending company supplies everything else — licensed bartenders, bar planning, setup, service, and cleanup. The Walters is a dry-hire bar service for weddings, corporate events, and private parties across the Oklahoma City metro.
Do I really have to buy my own alcohol in Oklahoma?
Yes — and it works in your favor. In Oklahoma, mobile bar companies cannot sell alcohol, so the host purchases it. You buy from a shopping list we build for your exact guest count, you pay retail with no markup, and anything left at the end of the night stays yours.
How do I know how much alcohol to buy?
We tell you. Our alcohol purchasing calculator turns your guest count, event length, and drink menu into a specific shopping list — how much liquor, beer, wine, and mixer to buy, in what sizes. You take the list to the store; that is the whole job.
What happens to the alcohol we don’t drink?
You keep it. Because you purchased it, every unopened bottle goes home with you. We do not restock, resell, or remove leftover alcohol.
Are your bartenders licensed and insured?
Yes. Our bartenders hold Oklahoma’s Event Bartender license through the ABLE Commission, and The Walters carries both liquor liability and general liability insurance. We can send certificates directly to your venue on request.
What do you bring, and what do I bring?
You bring the alcohol. We bring the licensed bartenders, the bar planning and drink menu, the purchasing list, the bar tools and service equipment, setup and cleanup, and travel within our service area. Portable bars, ice, mixers, garnishes, cups and glassware are available as add-ons so you do not have to source those either.
Do you serve dry-hire bars outside Oklahoma City?
Yes. The Walters serves the full Oklahoma City metro — Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon, Mustang, Midwest City, Del City and the surrounding communities — with travel included up to 20 miles beyond Central Oklahoma City. Farther out, just ask.
Is dry-hire the same as BYOB?
Not quite. BYOB usually means guests bring their own drinks and nobody is running a bar. Dry-hire means you supply the alcohol and a professional, licensed team builds, staffs, and runs a real bar with it — menu, setup, service, and cleanup included.
How do I book a dry-hire bartender in Oklahoma City?
Request a quote with your date, venue, and guest count. We confirm availability, build a bar plan and drink menu around your event, and send your alcohol shopping list so you can buy at your convenience before the day.
How much alcohol should you buy? More answers in our full FAQ →
Your bar,
handled.
Tell us your date, venue, and guest count — we’ll confirm availability, build your bar plan, and send the alcohol shopping list so you can buy at your convenience.
Check Your Date