The ‘Beer Guy’ rolls in: South Hadley’s Dave Capriati transforms old vehicles into party-ready mobile bars

SOUTH HADLEY — Soon after food trucks began dishing out innovative and affordable cuisine at breweries and public concerts, mobile bar trucks began bubbling up across the country to provide beer, wine and mixed drinks to accompany the culinary concoctions from these popular restaurants on wheels.

But only one man captains a small fleet of vehicles stocked with alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages for patrons in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire to sip.

South Hadley resident Dave Capriati flipped an old ambulance, a trailer and a golf cart into three distinct mobile bars, each with their own character. Whether driving his beer wagon, beer trailer or beer cart, The Beer Guy brings the drinks to whoever needs them.

“You see copycats out there, but there’s only one of The Beer Guy,” Capriati said.

Capriati got the business idea from a small, four-tap mobile bar at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival in New Hampshire. His background as a mechanic and experience working on food trucks bolstered his vision to implement the idea at home.

“There were four taps on the side of the trailer at the Seafood Festival, everything else was sold in cans,” Capriati said. “So I said that if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna go all out. I designed this. I started drawing it on paper.”

That drawing would become the beer wagon, a former ambulance outfitted with 11 taps. A refrigerated, stainless-steel interior keeps the customer’s selection of beer, wine and cocktails cold.

After the success of the beer wagon, Capriati designed a beer trailer to attach to the wagon. The trailer is a 20-foot-long vehicle with 14 taps, a 70-inch television and stereo system. Inside, a Honda generator powers the internal refrigeration system, which holds more than 50 kegs and additional packs of soda cold.

“We can do two events or three events in a day,” Capriati said. “So the trailer will go get dropped off somewhere, then the beer wagon will go somewhere else.”

Most recently, The Beer Guy rescued a beverage cart collecting dust at a PGA golf tournament after the location lost its liquor license. He assigns two of his 21 employees to the cart at large outdoor venues, searching for thirsty attendees to wave over.

“Now you’re not standing in line at the trailer. If you want something, you wave and the girls will drive over to you and serve you,” he said.

The biggest perk, Capriati said, is the vehicles are fully self-contained, meaning that no external power, water or ice is needed to run the bar.

Capriati even takes care of permits and licenses for events such as weddings. Wedding planners like Lisa Powers, producer of The Western New England Bridal Shows, say the service is a huge relief for brides- and grooms-to-be, who already have dozens of logistics to worry about on their big day.

“The main benefit is you don’t have to do it yourself,” Powers said. “He [Capriati] arranges everything and simply drives it in and the bar is just there. Everything is complete.”

Powers, who works at CJC Events as “a connector of connections,” plans two bridal shows a year for engaged couples to sample potential catering, photography, floral arrangements and other services and products for the milestone event. The Beer Guy has been a vendor at several of those shows, and she said the trailer catches people’s eyes as soon as it drives in.

“Any bridal event and any time you’re inviting couples together, it’s personal. These people normally don’t spend a large amount of money on an event, and so you want them to see and experience it instead of sitting behind your computer to figure out what’s good or what’s not,” Powers said. “When [The Beer Guy] drives that in there and showcases it, that’s telling me that he’s got an experience you want to have. It’s like smelling the flowers and tasting the cake.”

Business immediately flowed in as soon as Capriati got his licenses in 2018, but the pandemic amped up demand for The Beer Guy. Every wedding venue and restaurant closed in a matter of weeks, relocating weddings to the backyards of the bride or groom. Capriati’s portable bar was ready to roll, fully disinfected between each use and masked bartenders pouring drinks. The Beer Guy’s bookings doubled.

In addition to weddings, The Beer Guy trailers can be found at town events such as recent Fourth of July firework displays. Capriati works food festivals, craft markets and concerts like Easthampton’s Thunder in the Valley. Between each event, the keg vehicles are fully cleaned and stocked with different drinks.

Capriati even has his own beer brewed at Progression Brewery in Northampton. The light pale ale called “The Beer Guy” is easy to drink, with as little hops and bitterness as possible, he raves.

“We accommodate specialty drinks. We call them Signature Series drinks, and a specialty moment for a beer,” Capriati said. “We do nonalcoholic beers. We can do nonalcoholic martinis or Shirley Temples for kids, so that they feel they’re a part of coming to the trailer with their parents.”

Even with the decked out vehicles and customizability, The Beer Guy’s biggest asset may lie in the very man himself. Capriati admits that trust in employees and clients is key to a successful business, and he practices what he preaches. His employees not only keep their plentiful tips, but are allowed, even ordered, to take money out of the register for lunch.

Capriati donates to Baystate Medical Center each year he works Thunder in the Valley. Children drink sodas and juices for free at weddings, simply to help them enjoy the event just a little more.

“We give back to the community where we can,” Capriati said.

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.