Bars on Wheels
Mobile beverage purveyors abound in Reno-Tahoe.
Remember the mesmerizing sound filling the air as the neighborhood ice cream truck made its way down the street? The anticipation of the cool treat built almost to a frenzy as the magical ding-ding-dum drew closer until the friendly server stopped, took your order, and handed you the frosty dessert of your choice. For most, that memory is etched vividly in our minds. Today, owners of a few mobile bars are bringing the nostalgia back for grownups, but with a more potent treat.
Alissa and Collin Brennan prefer to peek at the past from inside their 1972 Airstream Safari, dubbed the Dusty Bottle. Pulled by a 1973 Chevy Cheyenne pickup truck, this vintage tavern features a kegerator, a 10-foot-long hatch that opens up, and a wooden bar ready to don the good stuff. Measuring 23 feet long from end to end, the Brennans’ mobile bar can handle any size party … and add to the ambiance for guests.
“If you’re celebrating something special, people love a bar and love drinking,” Alissa explains. “To have an Airstream come, it’s a way to make your event special and add to the appeal.”
Punch and Bubbles
Along with the cool aesthetic, mobile bars bring interesting beverage options to the table. Patrons might enjoy the Pearscilla’s Spiced Hooch or other signature cocktails courtesy of the Dusty Bottle. If Libby Haaland and Joe Heider pull up with their Flutes on Tap van, you can bet there will be Prosecco flowing.
“I’m such a fan of the bubbles,” Haaland exclaims. “When you’re drinking bubbles, you’re never having a bad time.”
With that mentality, Haaland and Heider took a concept they stumbled upon on Facebook and created the area’s only Prosecco van.
“We’re small but mighty,” Haaland adds. “We can pour sparkling wine, beer, even frozen cocktails.”
Cheers, Cham Pong, and More
Aesthetics? Check. Beverages? Check. But what about entertainment?
Flutes on Tap comes outfitted with cornhole, a giant Jenga game, and cham pong.
“Think beer pong but with bubbles,” Haaland says.
If leaning on the bar top is more your style, check out the 10-foot-long mahogany bar adorning Cheers Mobile Pub, a refurbished-ambulance-turned-police-command-vehicle-turned-mobile-bar. With 10 beer lines and a full bar, along with the ability to stream music from their quality sound system and set the tone with twinkling lights, Cheers owners Victoria Weiser and Brett Ballman bring the party to wherever they park.
“People like it when they can be in their own surroundings,” Weiser says. “If they want to have a cul-de-sac party where the neighbors come together and the adults can socialize while the kids play in their own yards rather than a public setting, we can do it. It’s that familiarity of whatever surroundings you’re comfortable in with a bar that’s being delivered to you.”
Honor your inner child and run toward one of the area’s mobile bars. Enjoy a few drinks, but be careful not to stumble on your way home.
For details, visit Dustybottlebar.com, Flutesontap.com, and Cheersreno.com.
A big fan of booze and bars, Heidi Bethel is excited to welcome these three mobile options to the mix. She encourages folks planning weddings and upcoming events to consider creative bar experiences for guests.
Pearscilla’s Spiced Hooch
(courtesy of Dusty Bottle Bar in Reno. Serves 1)
1½ ounces Verdi Local apple cinnamon whiskey
1½ ounces pear nectar
Ginger beer
Ground cinnamon
Lemon wedge
Cinnamon stick
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add apple cinnamon whiskey and pear nectar, then fill to top with ginger beer. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top and garnish with lemon wedge and cinnamon stick.
