Answers

What is included in a mobile bar package?

A full-service mobile bar package includes the physical bar, certified bartenders for a set number of hours, ice, coolers, mixers, juices, syrups, garnishes, professional tools, and setup and breakdown. Alcohol is almost always supplied by you, and glassware may come from the venue or a rental company rather than the bar service.

The four things every package should specify

Packages differ enough that comparing prices is meaningless until you know four things: how many bartenders, for how many hours, whether the bar structure itself is included, and whether mixers and ice are included. Get those four answers and you can compare quotes honestly. Skip them and you are comparing a bartender with a shaker against a full mobile bar.

Typically included

• Bartenders. RBS-certified, for a defined window, usually four or five hours of service plus setup and breakdown time.
• The bar. A portable or pop-up bar structure, sometimes with front decor or styling.
• Ice and coolers. Roughly one and a half pounds of ice per guest, more in Sonoma summer heat.
• Mixers and non-alcoholic components. Sodas, tonic, fresh juices, house-made syrups, bitters.
• Garnishes. Citrus, herbs, and whatever the seasonal menu calls for, prepped in advance.
• Tools and service ware. Shakers, jiggers, strainers, mats, napkins, straws, pour spouts.
• Menu design. Signature cocktails built with you before the event.
• Setup and breakdown. Including leaving the space clean.
• Insurance. General liability coverage, with a certificate for your venue if required.

Typically not included

• Alcohol. Yours to buy, for licensing reasons.
• Glassware. Often the venue, caterer, or a rental company. Confirm who is providing it and whether it is glass or disposable.
• Tables, linens, and lounge furniture. Usually a rental item.
• Water and power at the bar location. A venue question, and a real one at outdoor ranch and vineyard sites.
• Extended hours beyond the package window. Billed hourly.
• Travel beyond the included radius.
• Gratuity.

How our three packages are built

We structure ours so the scope is obvious from the tier rather than buried in a quote:

• Spark, from $500. Up to 50 guests, four hours, dry hire. One RBS-certified bartender with professional tools. You provide the bar surface, alcohol, and mixers. Suited to venues that already have a built bar.
• Blaze, from $895. Up to 75 guests, four hours. Our pop-up mobile bar, coolers, ice, all mixers and garnishes, and two custom signature cocktails built from local seasonal ingredients.
• Inferno, from $1,400. Up to 150 guests, five hours. Two bartenders, complete bar setup with decor, three custom signature cocktails, and champagne toast service.

All three include RBS-certified staff, insurance, and setup and breakdown. The difference between them is equipment, product, and headcount capacity, not the standard of service.

Add-ons worth considering

Beyond the base package, the extras that actually improve an event are a thoughtful non-alcoholic programme, a batched welcome cocktail passed on trays as guests arrive, a second bar station if your floor plan spreads people out, and an extra hour of service if there is any chance your reception runs long. The ones that rarely earn their cost are elaborate cocktail menus with more than three options and premium spirits used exclusively in mixed drinks.

A word on non-alcoholic options

Every guest list includes people who are not drinking, and a bar that offers them a soda from a plastic bottle is a small failure of hospitality. A good package should include at least one properly built non-alcoholic cocktail made with the same juices, syrups, and garnishes as everything else. We build one into every menu as standard, and it is consistently among the most ordered drinks of the night.

Questions to ask before signing

Ask what happens if the event runs long and what that costs. Ask who provides ice, glassware, and the bar surface. Ask how many certified bartenders will be on site, by name if possible. Ask what time the team arrives and how long breakdown takes. Ask whether travel to your venue is included. And ask for a shopping list with quantities, because a service that will not tell you how much alcohol to buy is leaving the hardest part of the job with you.