The Brew Bus, Sarah Catherine Avent

Linda and I attended Bryant Whelan’s retirement party on Memorial Day at the Eastern Shore Art Center. Her husband, Patrick, made all the arrangements. As we arrived, we saw this great vintage 1966 Ford Econoline van parked out front. It’s an eye-catcher painted in a beautiful blue and cream motif. It was the Brew Bus. How cool!

Sarah Catherine Avent and her dad, Kenneth Cruthirds, were pouring guests' libations from six taps on the side of the van. With three choices of beer, a vodka and cranberry concoction, and a water tap, the father-daughter team stayed busy and kept people happy throughout the event.

It was such a novel and unique concept that I wanted to learn more. It turns out that a close family friend and talented lady, Antoinette Savoie, met Sarah Catherine at The Hangout Fest. When she learned about the Brew Bus, she connected us through email; we were already scheduled to meet later in the week in Orange Beach. Small world stuff…

Sarah Catherine, her husband, John, and their 9-year-old son, Hamp, live in Gulf Shores. Sarah Catherine grew up in Mobile and attended McGill-Toolen before graduating from The University of Alabama with a degree in Food and Nutrition. John grew up in the Magnolia Springs area and attended Bayside Academy. She knew John from high school but didn’t start dating until college.

After college in 2012, Sarah Catherine’s first job was as a Nutritionist at the Chevron Refinery in Pascagoula. She built its first employee nutrition program from scratch, including fitness, seminars, and healthy options for meal planning. Two years later, she moved to Symbol Solutions, an on-site care clinic for businesses around the Gulf Coast. Here, Sarah Catherine would go from company to company offering advice and instruction on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Sarah Catherine and John married in 2014. John’s a tech designer at Discord, and they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2018. When Covid hit, his company went remote, and they came to Gulf Shores to quarantine at John’s parent's condo. “We thought we’d be here for three weeks, but his job went totally remote after six months, and we’d fallen in love with the beach,” she says. 

“I had spent time here as a child growing up but had never immersed myself in beach life. I love everything about this area: the people, the beauty, the water, and especially the sunsets.” They purchased a house on the West Beach of Gulf Shores in 2020. Hamp attends Gulf Shores Elementary, which Sarah Catherine says is amazing. “We have a great little neighborhood community here.”

Her dad, Kenneth, retired from Gulf Distributing in Mobile after 20 years. “He knows all the ins and outs of the beer industry,” she says. “I had an idea of doing a mobile bar service and researched the laws of Alabama and what you can and cannot do. John knew the couple that started Brew Bus. It was about a year old, so we bought the business and ran with it.”

The van had been completely refurbished in California and was ready to go. She wanted her dad to be involved because he knows everything about how the systems work. Plus, this allowed them to spend time together doing what they know and love.

They tested the process by hosting a neighborhood gathering with family and friends at their house. Then it was off to the races! The first party was a month later. Sarah Catherine says, “We learn something new at every event.”

The Brew Bus has six taps, and four are specifically for beer. The other two taps can be anything the client wants through what is called “Corny Kegs.” The choices range from champagne to margaritas to wine, whatever the host wants to serve. “You can combine adult beverage taps with kid’s beverages such as lemonade, sodas, and juice. Water and coffee are also available.

“We can be very personalized depending on the client's taste and party theme. On Cinco de Mayo, we served Corona and Margaritas. On St. Patrick's Day, we had Irish Coffee and Green Mimosas. Beer, wine, and specialty cocktails are really popular.” 

“We do lots of weddings, football parties, and birthday parties for adults and kids. We just had our busiest month in May. We stay really busy from May through September.”

The Brew Bus has a two-hour rental minimum, and the customer must purchase the alcohol. “I can pick up the alcohol, order it for them, and return the kegs, but by law, they have to make the purchase themselves.” Most parties call for “sixtels,” which is one-sixth of a full keg. We do quarter kegs as well for larger groups. “I’ve gotten pretty good at estimating how much is needed based on the number of guests and how long the party lasts.”

Sarah Catherine also stays busy as a fitness instructor at Neighborhood Barre in Gulf Shores. She teaches classes Monday through Thursday at 6 AM, 8 AM, and 9:15 AM. Then Friday through Sunday, she works on Brew Bus events with her dad. 

“This started as a fun project to do with my dad. It turns out I’m pretty good at events, and I love the creative side. I like people and enjoy helping them, especially on their special occasions. It’s fun! People love the whole operation, and it’s a great photo op. It’s something that I love to do.”

She goes on to say, “I love that this is my business. I own it and am proud that it’s a female-owned business. It’s fun that it’s just my dad and me, and I think it has drawn us closer. We call him the Brew Master. He’s a perfectionist and doesn’t want anything to go wrong. But if it does, he can fix it. It’s our father-daughter adventure!”

How do you juggle family and business, I asked. “It’s fun. We grew up pretty quickly and have figured things out that work for us. I’m very positive, and, as a family, we have a good outlook on life. Even with a hectic schedule, John, Hamp, and I spend a lot of time together, so it works. We are social people and get to meet so many new friends through Brew Bus. And it's really great spending time with my Dad.”

What a wonderful story. To make your next party stand out and add to the festivities, you can email Sarah Catherine at info@brewbusgulfcoast.com or call her at 251 610-3080 to book the Brew Bus. It’s a guaranteed party hit!