When putting together blog features I often ask mobile bar owners who or what their inspiration was for starting their business.
Some say that it’s because they have a love for vintage vehicles and restoration, others because they have a passion for design and wanted to offer something more aesthetically pleasing than the standard bar set-up you traditionally see at events.
Many founders cite community and their love of bringing people together to celebrate life, and others describe a drive to succeed and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.
For Bernadette, owner, and lead operator of Pick & Pour Mobile Beverages, it was all of these things. When speaking to Roll To she told us, “In 2015, after family tragedy and loss, my children and I started over with nothing. This led to years of hustling, saving, fearing the unknown and wanting to give up, but the desire to show my children that ANYTHING was possible remained, and what started as a small spark of inspiration (and a family joke!), had by 2019 turned into daily joy”.
“I had been part of the service industry for over 20 years, traveling with the Marine Corps as a spouse. I was already working as an event coordinator for military families on Vandenberg Air Force base and I thought why not take it up a notch? What better way to start a business than just jump in and go for it?”
So, in 2020 and in the most unforgiving of years for businesses, Bernadette decided to launch Pick & Pour Mobile Beverage Services.
“I’m proud to say that I launched with no loans, no grants, and no family money. I put everything into the business. I was confident in myself and the idea because I have an unbelievable amount of creativity and a gift for inventing and crafting beverages.”
If you follow Pick & Pour on Instagram, you’ll often see Bernadette posting photos of her newest, wildest drink creations, from Hennessey with horchata boba milk tea, to ice bean floats via freshly squeezed tangerine paloma and hibiscus chili salt rim cocktails.
If you’re looking for non-alcoholic options, Bernadette constructs everything from chocolate bunny beverages to cotton candy bombs.
Bernadette serves her signature cocktails from the window of a 1962 vintage Shasta camper, lovingly named ‘Odette’.
Painted in a wonderfully retro turquoise, ‘Odette’ is a slice of ‘60s cool and the perfect companion to the magnificent concoctions she supplies.
Whilst her love for vintage aesthetics and designing beverages is evident, Bernadette says that her main goal with Pick & Pour is to “bring families and people closer together. I wanted to create something that was more than just an after-hours gig. I hope that Pick & Pour becomes a hub for local entertainment and community.”
And that dream is well on its way to becoming reality, as Pick & Pour continues to flourish and grow.
Joining the fleet in 2023 is another vintage Shasta camper as well as a converted horse trailer.
The company also provide a variety of satellite bars to fit in smaller event spaces that trailers can’t get to.
“This will allow us to serve multiple events in a day. We simply can't wait to reveal to our community what we have in store for them this year. We have exciting upcoming collaborations with local vendors and businesses as well as plenty of private events booked for 2022/23”.
“We have been honored to take part in our local community’s weddings, tailgates, corporate parties, farmers markets, food truck Fridays – you name it, we've done it all. But this is just the beginning, and we welcome many more events and community projects in the future!”
Serving out of Santa Barbara County, Pick & Pour Mobile Beverage Services also offer cocktail classes (drinks and garnishes), tastings, kiddie party packages and pretty much any beverage package you can think of.
“Whatever ideas you have, just let us know. I enjoy creating event experiences that are completely outside the box…I’ve even added liquor caviar to my drinks!”
So, if you’re looking for vintage chic, quality, friendly service and something a little different on your event menu, contact Bernadette at Pick & Pour Mobile Beverage Services today!
Follow: @pickandpourmobilebeverages
