Byrdie Bar

BYRDIE BAR was a silver lining to the black cloud that was COVID.

Its founder, Kristine Mannino, was laid off from her Detroit bartending job when that business closed permanently due to the pandemic. Soon after, Mannino talked to a friend who was planning a wedding in Denver.

“She mentioned they were looking at a mobile bar,” Mannino remembers. “I started researching it and realized it would be a great business here.”

Mannino outlined her dream mobile bar in blue painter’s tape on her living room floor. In January 2021, it became a reality.

Since then, Byrdie Bar has served unique, custom beverages at events—some for individuals and families celebrating milestones, others for larger groups and events—throughout Southeast Michigan. One significant partnership came with the Detroit Zoo for its After Hours 21+ Event Series, which invites adults to stroll the grounds while enjoying grownup beverages.

The Byrdie Bar fleet includes a vintage Ford van with six taps. “We use it for craft beers, but also cocktails and even iced coffees and lemonade,” says Mannino.

They offer a wide range of specialty cocktails and Mannino’s team loves to develop a drink with a “fun twist” to suit a client. They also advocate using local brands, products and ingredients.

A customer favorite is their Lavender Lemon Fizz. The lavender comes from a farm in Romeo and the unique neon purple color is a result of the butterfly pea powder used.

“I always tell people you can go anywhere and get a vodka soda or a Bud Light,” says Mannino. “If you do a drink and put a little twist on it, people get really excited when they come up to the bar. People just go crazy for it.”

 “I always tell people you can go anywhere and get a vodka soda or a Bud Light. If you do a drink and put a little twist on it, people get really excited when they come up to the bar. People just go crazy for it.”

—KRISTINE MANNINO,
owner of Byrdie Bar