Oozing Italian charm, the Top Hops Half Pint vintage tap truck is the perfect addition to your next party or corporate event.
The Half Pint is a three-wheeled Piaggo Ape Classic; a scaled-down Italian delivery truck created by the same folks who invented the Vespa.
“Our new addition has been lovingly and artfully converted into a retro-style mobile bar, specializing in the service of high-quality draft beer,” said Christina Cahill, Top Hops director of marketing, events, and education.
Cahill’s beer expert husband, Ted Kenny, launched Top Hops Beer Shop in Manhattan in 2010. During the pandemic, the couple and their children hunkered down in the Heights. They stayed in the summer home that Cahill has owned with her family for nearly 20 years, deepening their connections to the community.
“My favorite part of opening Top Hops has been my interactions with fellow beer lovers and curious folks,” Kenny said. “Beer has hundreds of styles represented under the two families of beer: Ale and Lager. There are over 9,000 breweries in the US today and thousands more globally.”
“When someone tells me ‘I don’t like beer’ I say ‘you just haven’t tasted the beer you love, yet.’ With my access to thousands of beers, if you have an open mind, I can find a beer you will love. Now, the Half Pint gets me out of the bar and closer to the people I love sharing my love of beer with.”
Curated Half Pint experiences
When hiring the Half Pint for an event, you can opt for one of seven curated beer packages. Or Top Hops will work with you to customize your selection; you can even add wine or bubbly.
“Talking about beer is what we do best,” Cahill said. “So rest assured you’ll be in good hands whether you know exactly what you’d like or prefer that we drive the boat.”
The Half Pint can also be the focus of a tasting class. Top Hops can provide introductory or advanced classes, brand-specific or broad. “We can tailor a class to any taste,” she said.
Class examples include Travel the World with Beer, Belgian Beers, and Beer 101; these programs are ideal for small groups. And, you can pair the Top Hops Half Pint with other food trucks, such as the King Andrew Cheese wagon.
“We believe that beer and cheese are made for one another,” she said. “They share the same base building blocks (cereal grain), so are ideal natural complements.”
Top Hops Fees
Top Hops tailors every Half Pint rental booking to the customer’s needs, Cahill said.
“We pull up, set up, serve, clean up, and pull away, allowing our clients to enjoy their event with confidence that the needs of guests are being handled.”
The standard rental fee is $2,500 for two hours for up to 30 guests. This includes two smartly attired, engaged, and educated bartenders; Top Hops beer curation; six tap lines pouring fresh scrumptious beer; set up and breakdown; full liquor liability; disposable drinkware, and a 20 percent staff gratuity.
Additional fees may apply for travel costs. There’s a $1,000 charge per additional hour and a $40 per person charge for events of more than 30. Public spaces require a catering permit, and licensed venues will be subject to a different cost structure. Non-beer options will incur additional costs.
Nuts and bolts
The three-wheeled scooter is considered the Lamborghini of the Ape line. Piaggio, the makers of the Vespa, developed it after World War II. The war had devastated the Italian economy creating a need for an affordable light commercial vehicle that could handle those tricky Italian roads. Christened the Ape (pronounced Ah-peh ), the name means “bee” in Italian while the Vespa means “wasp.”
The Half Pint is 9.8 feet long by 5 feet wide by 6 feet tall. It weighs just under 1,000 pounds. This means it can even fit through double doors for indoor events. Hosts provide access to a 110-volt standard outlet.
To learn more or order the Half Pint for your summer event, contact events@tophops.com or call Top Hops at 917-593-4656.
