Not All Who Wander Are Lush

WanderLush

crystal mills wanderlushWith Boston-based WanderLush, the cocktails come to you. Founder Crystal Mills launched the mobile drinkery in January of 2015 as a recent Texas-to-Mass transplant. “Strangely enough, I was bored,” Mills admits. Networking with hospitality professionals in the city alerted the cocktail enthusiast to a gap in the Boston beverage industry. She set out to fill the need for a full-service catering company bringing customized craft cocktails to wherever they’re needed. From bridal showers to corporate team builds to VIP events, Mills and her team take the booze on the road with their wonderful wandering bar.

The Lone Star State native has always had a touch for hospitality, especially on the cocktail side. “In my family, I’m the one that brings the sangria,” she says. “It’s never like, ‘Crystal, bring the casserole.’ It’s ‘Crystal, bring the drinks!’” WanderLush works with a range of occasions, including cocktail-focused workshops and a Pop-Up Happy Hour option for groups of less than 50. “We bring everything,” Mills explains. “Alcohol, mixers, garnishes, cups.” All you have to do is provide the space (and the sippers).

wanderlush bostonUnderstanding the event she’s catering is step one to providing the liquid fun. Mills works on new drink menus for every season, based on what’s in bloom and what’s on the local market. “When I first started,” she says, “I would taste every single thing and tweak it before every single event. Now I know what flavors go together and what liquors complement each other.” She favors creative spins on bar standards—like a spring-inspired daiquiri made with muddled sweet peas (“an earthy, fun twist on a classic”) or a gin and tonic with housemade tonic syrup—and aims to keep the menu fresh but approachable. Part of the challenge of cocktail catering is pleasing a large group of people with a limited menu. Mills says, “We’ve done events as large as 350 and as small as 24 and I have yet to have someone be like, ‘Do you just have a rum and coke?’”

Part of the Austin-Boston transition for Mills was learning the cocktail landscape of a new place. She describes Austin as more laid-back—“alfresco, drinks in Mason jars”— while Boston imbibers seem to favor spirit-forward libations, “a little more serious, I guess you could say.” Here, she turns to local hospitality friends for inspiration, to bounce around drink ideas and as a way to keep the tight-knit camaraderie of the city’s drink pros. Moving into the warm weather season for New England, Mills is experimenting with lower alcohol concoctions using Italian aperitifs. “Of course, it’s about getting tipsy,” she says, “But it’s also about really enjoying what you’re drinking—and being able to have a couple of them.” Let WanderLush cater to your tastes and bring the imbibery to your next gathering.

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