The Cocktail Car is an innovative remodel of a vintage 1978 VW Camper Van into a fully functional mobile bar experience. Offering several different packages of drink service, the Cocktail Car livens up weddings and local festivals as well as bigger events.
It’s even made a splash at several major summer music festivals, including the British Summer Time Festival with headliners like Taylor Swift and The Who!
The mobile bar travels around the UK for special events.
The menu is tailored to each event, and offers everything from traditional to experimental drinks, all served by an experienced and creative staff. They’ve featured champagne-only menus for weddings, specialty cocktails created for specific events, and even juice and coffee bars.
They offer custom menus too, all served from a custom Volkswagen van.
Owner Oliver Gray got the idea for the ‘cocktail car’ when he was working at lavish events and parties in Ibiza, Spain. He decided he wanted to create an exciting and unique mobile bar of his own. He immediately thought of a Volkswagen camper van for its nostalgia factor and inherent features that make the bus a perfect vehicle for a bar remodel.
The top of the van opens to reveal a full service bar inside. Lighting, a fold down bar, and even a chalk board menu let the van get ready for service in very little time.
The restoration took a full year, and was completed by Manflowers Restoration in the United Kingdom. The van was fully restored down to the chassis, and the roof had to be modified so it could open and provide space for the bartender.
A handcrafted bar neatly fits into the camper, along with specially made wooden cabinets, custom chalkboards and lighting, and a special interior with all of the equipment needed for a fully functioning bar. Originally olive green, the Cocktail Car is nicknamed “Olive”, even though she is now painted a glossy, candy apple red.
The original van: and ugly olive green and in poor condition. The restoration took a year.
The full restoration saw everything restored, updated, or completely recreated to make “Olive” into the “Cocktail Car.”
Her drab green exterior transformed into a bright, cherry red.
Oliver says he couldn’t be happier with the remodel,
“I had always wanted a camper van growing up and I’ve always wanted a bar, so it’s doubly exciting!”
This amazing restoration is a hit, with a huge Internet fan following, and tons of happy clients. They are even thinking of adding a second one!
With over 23,000 likes on Facebook and bookings filling up, it’s obvious the Cocktail Car is a huge success. They are even considering expanding the fleet and adding another one in the future.
Visit the Cocktail Car online to see their current event calendar, or to schedule their services for your own event in the United Kingdom.
