The Gin Tin: Why Every Equestrian Event Should Have a Horse Trailer Bar…

By: Brittany Bevis

Let the Fun Be-Gin!

It was the creative ingenuity and enterprising spirit of two young ladies based in London that led to the creation of The Gin Tin. What was once an old Rice Beaufort Horse Box [horse trailer] has been up-cycled into a quaint mobile bar that travels to local equestrian events, weddings, and private parties all over the United Kingdom.

Neither Anna Shanks, her friend Chloe Davies, nor her father John have any personal background in the horse industry, but they know a good opportunity when they see one.

“I saw a mobile bar at a wedding, and it fit perfectly with my desire to have a hobby that channeled my creative side and my love of customer service,” Anna says. “Thankfully, my father John and my best friend Chloe were looking for a similar challenge and joined me on the adventure. There’s a huge trend for pop-up bars here in the UK, and unique mobile bars are popular among those who want to offer their guests and clientele something a little different.”

The group purchased the small, bumper-pull horse trailer in April of this year and immediately set upon the task of turning the interior into a traveling, bespoke bar. The interior divider and padded sides gave way to a small, but efficient, bar service station complete with wooden shelves to hold crystal-clear containers of Sipsmith’s London Dry Gin and amber-colored bottles of Hendrick’s.

“The horse box [trailer] is a great vehicle, not only because it’s an affordable option for a start-up business, but these trailers are designed to carry weight, so they’re perfect for our bottle coolers,” Anna says. “They also hold up to external changes and are small enough to be stored with ease.”

For Anna, it was very important that the horse trailer retain as much of its original hardware and features as possible. Keeping the drop down doors and loading ramps gives The Gin Tin much of its charm.

“We tried to keep the changes minimal,” she says. “A lot of other horse box mobile vehicles have removed certain aspects, i.e. the ramps and doors, but we were very keen not to mess with her too much. There was a great scratch on the inside of the horse box, which looked like a horse (it came from horses biting the side of the trailer), but sadly we had to paint over it. I wish we could have kept it.”

Recently, The Gin Tin debuted at Barnfest 2015 in the Staffordshire countryside and received a very warm welcome. In July, The Gin Tin made an appearance at the 2015 Longlines Global Champions Tour, a five-star show jumping event held at Syon Park. Equestrians and spectators alike enjoyed the signature “English Garden,” an elderflower and apple cocktail featuring Sipsmith’s Dry Gin, and Bombay Sapphire over cubed ice with Fever Tree’s award winning tonic during the Longlines After Party.

“We have received lots of praise and support from friends, family, and suppliers,” she says. “It’s been a lovely experience. At our last event, people were asking if we could take photos of them in front of the horse box, which was brilliant. Our ultimate highlight was being filmed at the Longines Champions Tour last month.”

With its shiny blue-ribbon exterior and charming mini white picket fence ramps, The Gin Tin is branching out from the horse world into other events and is available for weddings, corporate gatherings, private parties, and festivals.

Now, The Gin Tin is looking to our EquineChronicle.com readers for some gin-spiration… What are your ideas for some speciality equestrian-themed cocktails? What about a Whiskey Sour Chestnut Mare? A Trojan Horse with Guinness stout and Coke? A Pimm’s Pony with Hendrick’s gin and cucumber garnish? The Horse’s Neck with ginger ale and a long, lemon peel?

Please share your suggestions on Gin Tin Events’ Twitter page or Facebook page.

For more information about The Gin Tin, please visit their website at www.gintinevents.co.uk.