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stl q&A
tiffany unger
ceLebRate tHe HOLIdayS at OuR
co-owner, the wandering sidecar bar co. WRITTEN By SARAh KLoEPPLE
ONe-Of-a-kINd
eveNt Space
ST. CHARLES, MO. A vintage
1960 camper rests in the backyard of Tiffany and Dave Unger’s home in St. Charles, Missouri – but it doesn’t stay idle for long. The camper, affectionately named Ruthie, houses their mobile bar service, The Wandering Sidecar Bar Co. They’ve partnered with The Vino Gallery in the Central West End and beverage-catering company Liquid Spirits to help clients plan drink menus for events and parties; the Ungers take care of the rest. Tiffany takes care of drinks while Dave works behind the scenes. The idea came to Tiffany last November after she read about a similar mobile bar service in California. Two weeks later, they found Ruthie. She was sent to Mark Bertel, an Arkansas contractor who builds tiny homes, for remodeling. By June, Ruthie was ready for the road. The Ungers have been stationed at LouFest and countless weddings, and they even drove Ruthie through the parade at PrideFest in Downtown St. Louis this summer.
314.323.1131, thewanderingsidecarbarco.com
Sip & Savor Menu available
Call JiMMy to reServe photography by jacklyn meyer
314.394.3366
10701 Watson Rd. | Saint Louis, MO | twistedtreesteakhouse.com Next door to Holiday Inn St. Louis SW
PhoToGRAPhy By JACKLyN MEyER
Why start a mobile bar service? I have been bartending since I was 21. I really enjoy working with people; I like making drinks. About six years ago, I started a vintage rental company. Until I had my twin babies, it was great. They were born, and the idea of having a storefront didn’t really work for me anymore. When I read about [the mobile bar service], it kind of meshed the best of both worlds. We tried to do a palette that was appealing to more than just a wedding – I wanted it to appeal to men and women. We can do a wedding or we can do a bachelor party or a baby shower. We can do really anything. Tell us about Ruthie. When I bought her, she was gutted. The attachment my husband and I have to Ruthie is very emotional – we invested our savings and heart and soul into her. Pulling up in Arkansas and seeing her transformation from an ugly duckling to a beautiful mobile bar floored us. [Bertel] came in, and he built these custom butcher blocks; the cabinets are custom-made, as well, [with] all copper fixtures. We have all porcelain sinks. I like to grow herbs for cocktails, so that’s something we want to bring in – as many natural aspects to it as we can. How has business been so far? When we first started out, I really thought that we would just be a wedding vendor. It’s been very surprising – we’re doing block parties, corporate, nonprofit events… we’re excited we can be more involved in the community. What are you working on next? We finished Birdie, a double horse trailer and second mobile bar, last month and are renovating another unit for draft-beer service for next summer. We also built two outside bars to serve from, for those who want our bartending services without the camper or for indoor events. Dave and I still love working events ourselves, and I think we always will, but we have also hired a small staff. We absolutely love our hometown and want to be as immersed in the St. Louis community as possible.
private space for parties of 6 to 50+ guests with Menu & Drink packages
Inspired Local Food Culture
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