What to know about the VW mobile bus bar rolling around WNC

ASHEVILLE - A new beverage business is on a mission to change the way people drink – and don’t drink.

Roll Up Herbal Bar, a mobile mocktail bar, is on the move across Western North Carolina.

The beverage catering business specializes in original culinary nonalcoholic beverages at pop-ups as well as private events.

In October, Roll Up Herbal Bar made its debut at Sunny Point Café, where owner Sam Kearney used to bartend and where she created the Tequila Thursday special that ran for nearly a year.

Kearney said she’s worked in the beverage industry since age 14.

“I joke that my first bartending job was making myself Shirley Temples in my mom’s first bar and nightclub when I was 7,” she said.

Kearney said she’s always enjoyed making drinks, though she chooses not to drink alcohol. It’s part of the motivation to develop a zero-proof beverage business.

“It just doesn’t agree with my body anymore. I thought I could make some pretty good mocktails,” she said. “Then I learned what makes a good mocktail ― the balance of flavors and techniques and even the ice can make a difference.”

Demand continues to increase with individuals seeking nonalcoholic beverages beyond the basic water, juice or sodas.

Establishments that provide craft nonalcoholic options continue to pop up and thrive across the region, like Waynesville Soda Jerks, Elevated Kava Lounge, Devil’s Foot Beverages and Nolo.

“There’s a lot of people like me who are phasing out of drinking who may drink every once in a while, and still like going out but doesn’t want to have the hangover the next day,” Kearney said.

Roll Up Herbal Bar's menu

Roll Up Herbal Bar’s culinary mocktails are $6 each.

Something Bright is made with grapefruit, tangerine, lemon and basil.

“I was kind of channeling a screwdriver energy. You have a lot of fresh, bright citrus and the basil comes through,” Kearney said. “I blanch it instead of cooking it with the syrup because I think it retains a lot more of that flavor.”

One of Kearney’s favorites is Something Floral.

“Back when I drank, I was a Hendrix gin fan, so that one’s kind of based on that flavor profile with cucumber and rose and juniper berry.

Something Signature, the first mocktail made for the business, is a mix of lavender, fresh rosemary and lemon zest that’s finished with a lemon wheel and lavender bitters.

Kearney sources rainbow mushroom tinctures from Rainbo Functional Mushrooms and herbal supplements from Wooden Spoon Herbs that may be added at an additional charge of $3 each.

Where to find Roll Up Herbal Bar

Roll Up Herbal Bar is easy to spot, as it’s in a customized 1971 Herbie Volkswagen Bus, converted by Sunshine Conversions in Mills River, that opens up with a service counter.

On Mondays, from 2-8 p.m., Roll Up Herbal Bar is regularly at Frog Level Brewing, 56 Commerce St. in Waynesville.

“The last setup that I did at Frog Level, I spoke with this couple and she said, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re here because so many of my friends don’t drink but we love coming here so it’s nice to have an upscale, experiential beverage,’” Kearney said.

On Mocktail Mondays, all drinks are $1 off.

Frog Level Brewing’s dining and craft beer menus are available, too.

Roll Up Herbal Bar is available for private event books like weddings and birthdays. And Kearney has worked with clients on custom recipe creation.

Also, Kearney has a “Little Buddy Bar,” a station for indoor and outdoor setups.

On Jan. 20, Roll Up Herbal Bar will be at the Wedding Expo at the WNC Agriculture Center in Fletcher.

On Feb. 1, stop by the mocktail bar at the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association’s Taste of Asheville tasting event at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center at the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in Asheville.

Roll Up Herbal Bar

Info: For more, visit rollupherbalbar.com.

Stories you may have missed:

• Thai cuisine becomes regular fixture at West Asheville brewery

• Bad Manners Coffee, now open in West Asheville, gives 'goth Barbie-punk vibes'

• WNC beverage company suspends production amid draining legal battles

• A West Asheville lounge expands with second location downtown

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Roll Up Herbal Bar takes craft drinks to new heights with mobile bar