Events, just like mobile bars, come in all shapes and sizes.
But whether you’re serving at an intimate wedding or a huge festival, using good equipment is always a necessity.
So, we thought who better to ask about must-have mobile bar accessories than the owners themselves?
As you'll see from their suggestions below, good kit can save you time, keep you cool, wow guests, and just plain protect you from embarrassment.
Without further ado, here are our top 9 mobile bar equipment recommendations, with links to buy, as recommended by real mobile bar owners (plus a bonus answer at the end 😉).
Ever feel like Austin Powers when trying to position your bar?
Well, thanks to a key piece of equipment, Ashley over at Piccadilly Pours definitely doesn't have that issue!
"We can't live without our trailer dolly!
Sometimes the client needs the bar in a location that our truck can't quite squeeze in.
With this piece of kit, we can drop the trailer, hook it up to our dolly and maneuver it into the perfect place!
We bought the MaxxHaul 70225 Trailer Dolly with 12" Pneumatic Tires and a 600 lb. Maximum Capacity from Amazon."
Be less like Austin, and more like Ashley.
Shop the Trailer Dolly that Ashley recommends here
We've all been there, the weather app said gray skies and cool breezes throughout the afternoon.
But then the sun had other ideas...
Standing inside of a steel box making cocktails isn't the ideal place to be when temperatures are rising and guests are beginning to gather.
Cue the hot sweats.
Fortunately, Rachel over at The Mixie Chic has the answer...
"We can’t live without our AC unit!
Being in Texas I can’t stress how important it is to have this!
The brand we use is Toshiba."
Keep cool at those summer events (that's every event for Californians) by shopping for a similar AC unit here.
Sure, you can claim that making mocktails by candle light adds to the ambience of the event, but trying to explain why your blender doesn't blend and your freezer ice is melting might be a little bit harder...
Tia always makes sure that she has a back-up, no matter where she's operating.
Our generator is the one piece of equipment that is essential for us to successfully serve at our events!
We use our generator to run our lights, sink and blender.
We could plug into our customers electrical outlet, but we'd prefer to use the generator.
We use the 'Jackery' brand. It gives us four hours of power, is small, lightweight and doesn't take up much room in our trailer.
Make sure even the most remote of parties doesn't stop unexpectedly by grabbing yourself a generator.
Explore the Jackery generator range here
What's worse than a beer selection you can't see?
A WARM beer selection you can't see!
Shauntelle over at Scotch & Soda has the perfect solution for both problems.
"Our commercial glass door beer coolers are a must-have!
Guests love being able to walk up and clearly see their beer options perfectly lit up and ice cold.
We use a True 49" backbar cooler - cheers!"
Put your beverage selection front and center with a True backbar cooler, available to buy here.
When lines are gathering and all around you is descending into chaos.
When you've forgotten where you stashed the bottle opener.
When your lemons look like limes, and your limes look like oranges.
You can always fall back on those signature cocktails you and your team batched this morning.
As Darci from Hodde Bros explains, consistency is king.
"Our mobile bar can't live without our 5 qt cambro.
We use it to batch cocktails for service.
This allows us to speed up service and provide consistency across bartenders.
I don't know what I'd do without it!"
Say it with me now: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance!
Plan ahead with batched cocktails here.
Need to take your dolly game to the next level?
Bri recommends adding a spark of electricity to really help you take the load off.
As Bri tells us, a little extra power can take your mobile bar to new heights.
"Purchasing an electric dolly has been a complete gamechanger for my business.
Now, I don’t have to turn down gigs because of location.
My dolly can get me up curbs, down sidewalks, and in tighter spaces where I can’t pull my truck through.
Invest in one!"
A piece of equipment that results in more bookings? Always a winner.
Here's the exact dolly that Bri uses
We know, smoking isn't cool.
But, if you're looking to level up your cocktail game, Eliana from Tipsy Mule suggests bringing a little fire to proceedings.
The one equipment that The Tipsy Mule can’t live without is probably our cocktail smoker.
Even when our cocktail menu doesn’t call for smoked drinks we always bring it along.
That glass filled with smoke and the smell it releases is a crowd stopper!
We love playing with fire! It goes with our motto of drinks and a show! We love being more than just a mobile bar…We are a vibe!
I love the smell of cherry wood, and maple. We use those scents the most.
Instead of overpowering the flavors they enhance the cocktail."
Check out the top rated cocktail smoker on Amazon here.
(Above bartender not included)
Possibly my favorite answer on must-have mobile bar equipment comes from Mariah and Lindsay at The Minzy Lounge.
They explain how you can stop moments like this...
...by doing some pre-event packing.
"Our Oh Sh*t kit is something we make sure we have before we leave for every event.
It holds all of the things we may possibly need during our event that we wouldn't normally remember to bring.
For example: pen, paper, bug spray, mints, scissors, and more!"
Extra points for Mariah and Lindsay because this sounds like a life-hack that goes way beyond the mobile bar industry.
Here's a link to the ultimate bartending set to help you get started on putting together your very own Oh Sh*t kit.
Warning: Extremely Satisfying Content below
Vanessa over at Adelante Mobile Wine Bar told us why spending a little extra on something seemingly simple helps her to overcome event anxiety.
"A premium corkscrew is essential! I actually have a fear of opening wine bottles in front of a large crowd haha! So, I make sure that I always have a top of the range corkscrew to make it easy for me.
struggling to open a new wine bottle as lines of people in need of a drink build up around me is literally my worst nightmare!
I decided to invest in something slightly more expensive but it works like a charm and has never let me down. Phew!"
I believe that this is known in the medical field as Vino-Unopenphobia.
Overcome your cork extracting fears with this top-rated corkscrew.
Well mobile bar equipment doesn't get much more essential than this does it..?
Naz gives a shout out to that trusty team member who turns up to every event, is happy to be in every photo, serves until the last drink is drunk AND stays for clean-up.
Give that employee a raise!
To answer your question I feel like my van (Hoppers) is the most important thing for me!
It's the star of our whole operation and keeps the kegs flowing for our guest!
No link to buy here but check out our All Listings page for plenty of mobile bar inspiration.
As they say, a good worker doesn’t blame their tools, and with these essential items of mobile bar equipment, you don’t have to!
Thanks to every owner that contributed to this feature and if you have recommendations that you think others should know about, please reach out - we'd love to hear from you!
Wherever you're at in your mobile bar journey, take a look at the deep-dive we took into starting a business and then taking the next step of marketing it to the masses.
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Thanks for visiting RollTo.Me. As a source of inspiration and information for mobile bar owners, I love to mention and link to various products and gear that might be helpful. Assume those links are affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you click and buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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