From California to Minden, by way of Sons of Kent Brewing in Chatham … and eventually all the way to Las Vegas.
That is the route of a mobile bar that will be used at a wedding and showcased at an industry show in Vegas in October.
The bar is a Franken-Jeep, created by Fred Willams, an automotive journalist and forever off-road gearhead. Williams, a California native, said he obtained the cab from a military surplus vehicle, keeping the engine and transmission from that truck, and merging it with a new chassis. Atop the back end he built his own truck bed, complete with hinged wooden sides that drop for easy full-bed access.
And that’s needed when you want to serve cold beer out of the back.
Perched in the truck bed is an oak barrel that once housed bourbon and later Sons of Kent’s Mammoth Imperial Stout. Now, it’s hinged, allowing easy access to slip a keg inside. Out the other side is a beer tap.
Yes, it is a kegerator. And it will be serving Sons of Kent products in Central Ontario at the Minden Off-Road Park.
The Sons also sent up a handful of additional branded oak casks to serve as beverage tables.
Adding to the geographical anomaly of this story is the fact Williams built the truck to be showcased at his friend’s wedding. That friend, Tony Caravello, is a Belle River native, who happens to love Sons of Kent beer, according to brewery co-owner Doug Hunter.
In summation, the truck was built by a man from California for a man from Belle River, for a wedding in Minden, which will serve beer from Chatham.
Oh, and we can’t forget the Las Vegas connection. Williams said his creation will be on display at SEMA 2024, an automotive performance parts trade show Nov. 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, which will see an estimated 140,000 people attend.
Williams looks at the project in a matter-of-fact manner.
“I got this cab and we came up with a plan and we built the thing in 34 days,” he said.
