New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Bringing the party to you
Couple transforms horse trailer into traveling bar
ORANGE — Transforming a 1971 horse trailer into a traveling bar that could be rented for gatherings was a “passion project” for Sarah and Nick
Currie, he said. But the cost of doing it right was pricier than the couple expected, so each brought a brother in to invest.
The Curries, who have a toddler and another child due any day now, were looking for extra income and were familiar with the restaurant/bar business after years working in the field.
“I love working with people. Everyone’s in a good mood when you’re serving them” at a wedding, shower, birthday party or other special function, Sarah Currie said. “You’re with someone at their happiest moments.”
Sarah Currie, a Bridgeport native, is a surgical technician, but has worked part-time for 14 years at the popular Ralph ‘n’ Rich’s Restaurant in Bridgeport.
Nick Currie, a West Haven native, is a Metro-North Railroad conductor who has worked bartending for relatives with restaurants.
Their mobile business — Pours & Carriage Mobile Bar Co., a trailer renovated with top-of-the line materials — is a play on the phrase “horse and carriage” thought of by Sarah Currie.
They will bring any drink menus to a party and décor to go with the theme. The cost doesn’t include liquor — under Connecticut law the client must purchase the liquor — but the Curries will help with ordering and even pick it up.
While there is room for flexibility as they are a new business, the couple said, they offer three main packages: The Belmont Stakes, serving beer, wine, bartenders (usually the couple) and cleanup for $850; The Kentucky Derby,which includes two custom signature drinks, for $1,250; and The Triple Crown, the top of the line, with unlimited mixed drinks, signature cocktails and all kinds of perks, for $1,500.
All packages include insurance, four hours of service, bartenders and more. The couple said they also can offer a non-alcoholic or juice bar for kids.
Maci Mursko hired Pours & Carriage for her 30th birthday celebration and said she loved the way the service took away the “stress.”
“They took care of the setup; garnishes, ice, all the bar essentials. The presentation was charming and added a unique twist to my party. I loved the special personalization of having signature cocktails,” she said. “Pours & Carriage were so helpful, professional, and my guests had a great time.”
It all started three years ago when Sarah Currie had been looking through Pinterest and saw how people were converting old horse trailers, and mentioned it to her husband.
Nick Currie, not one to put things off, his wife said, went on Facebook Market the next day and found a horse trailer to look at in New York.
It was a 1971 Stidham trailer and they took it. The owner had a horse ranch and — funny side story — tried to give the Curries a horse with it.
They brought the trailer back to Orange, but then they had a baby and the COVID-19 pandemic happened, delaying the plan.
They decided to start tackling the project earlier this year, thinking they would do most of the renovating themselves, but, “It was a much bigger undertaking than we thought,” Nick Currie said.
For financial help, they brought in her brother Andrew Boyle, also a Metro-North conductor, and his brother, Jesse Currie, a traveling intensive care unit nurse now working in Florida.
At this point, it’s a “family business,” Nick Currie said, noting he and his wife do most of the bartending together.
“They all fill in,” Nick Currie said of family.
The couple hired PTG Media Blasting & Restoration Services in New Milford and they did a fabulous job, the Curries said.
They wanted everything to be top shelf, including the wraparound cherry oak bartop that took more than 100 hours of work.
“We didn’t cut any corners,” Sarah Currie said.
The bar trailer has a three-bay sink, and wine barrel design around the fresh-water tanks and plumbing.
They lined the inside of the trailer in part with Shiplap and a bifold door allows clients to tack up photographs. There is electricity and mood-setting lighting in the bar.
The bar is done in warm, silver and gold tones intended to mix well with any decorations or theme a host chooses.
Sarah Currie said this summer was the perfect time to start because people are more comfortable doing events outdoors and after the year 2020, people generally are looking for a reason to get together and celebrate life, even if there is no birthday or anniversary.
“It’s one less thing for a host to think about,” Sarah Currie said of the business.
She said hosts don’t have to worry about how much alcohol to order, as she and her husband calculate it all and will even pick it up.
One of Sarah Currie’s elegant touches of detail is a freestanding bar near the trailer with cucumber and strawberry water, she said.
She loves doing the decor for the trailer — right now it’s an autumn theme — and she’s working on new signature drink offerings for fall that include ginger and cinnamon.
“We can make it (the trailer/bar) the focal point of any event,” Nick Currie said. “It adds to the ambiance.”