Rye On The Road

Two bartenders showed up for my party well in advance to set up. As if by magic, they assembled a stunning bar in my backyard with fresh herbs, lemons/​limes/​oranges, and a wide selection of liqueur. They created a delicious custom drink menu suited to the theme and food being served. The service was very professional and everything about it was high quality. Rye on the Road was a HUGE hit! Weeks after the party, I’m still hearing from my friends how great the bar was.

I’ve used a variety of bartenders for events over the years. Some have gotten the job done, some have not known what a Manhattan was, and then there was Rye on the Road.
If you’re looking to hire bartenders and you want great drinks, stop your search now and email them. If you have extra time and want to do some «research,» stop by their bar Rye for some taste testing. I love that bar and was so excited when I learned you can also hire them for events. I reached out to them immediately, worked out pricing with them, and signed the contract. Rye on the Road proved to maintain the same standards they hold themselves to at their home-​base, Rye. The event was full of true San Franciscans– interpret that how you want. Everyone’s Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Whiskey, and any other imaginable concoction was perfect and everyone was thrilled with the staff.
Now, I’m happy the people are happy, but what really gave Rye on the Road that 5^th star was my working with them as the event planner. They were the most self-​sufficient, abled vendor I have possibly ever worked with. They required zero hand-​holding which is a huge relief when you’re the event planner and running around dealing with all the other vendors. They arrived on site before I was upstairs and set themselves up, took care of everything, and found additional things to do, all without one phone call or text to me.
They were very helpful during the planning stages and often just volunteered to take care of small items that came up when reviewing details. I will say they aren’t over-​communicative, meaning I was a little freaked out leading up to the event because everything with them was so «we’ll take care of it,» «we can do that,» «don’t worry about it.» Most vendors wouldn’t make those promises so nonchalantly, and it’s unlikely they would actually follow through with doing them all either. However, Rye on the Road did everything as promised and exceeded expectations. Working with them was how it felt like it should be working with professionals– easy-​peasy. I can’t recommend them enough whether you’re having a pool party bbq with cocktails or a wedding. They do it all and they are now my go-​to bartenders.

ROTR served cocktails at my 40^th birthday party — they were fabulous! ROTR came with a great looking bar, set it up beautifully in my house, mixed superior cocktails (best mojitos — ever!), and flirted with all of my friends! Honestly, they made the night memorable.

We used ROTR for our Wedding held at Cornerstone Gardens last September. What was important to us was to have perfectly hand crafted cocktails, a professional staff, and a beautiful bar set-​up.
Working with Jon was super easy and he made me feel so comfortable that everything would be perfect the day of. My husband and I were beyond impressed with their operation. They helped to make our Wedding a huge success! Everyone raved about the cocktails, how they were garnished, the care that went into making each cocktail, and how fun the bartenders were. They were part of our party! They bring their own bar that is gorgeous and all their garnishes are beautifully presented.
I only hope to have another occasion to use them again. They were outstanding!!! Hire them — you will not be disappointed.

I had the pleasure of attending a wedding this weekend in wine country. And this wasn’t just any wedding — this was the kind of lavish wedding that would be fitting for a king & queen. Countless dollars were spent on landscaping, floral arrangements, entertainment, transportation, lodging, and catering (hell — the French Laundry cheese monger handled the pre-​ceremony appetizers). This is the kind of wedding that magazines write about.
But what really stood out at this upscale production was the bar program. The groom/​bride hired Rye On the Road to manage everything from the wine to cocktails for the evening. I’m obviously familiar with ROTD from their popular SF bars (including Rye and 15 Romolo). These guys are famous for making some of the best drinks in the city. So it was cool to see them bring the same savoir-​faire and mixology magic to a wedding. They essentially took over a refurbished, old barn and transformed it in to a sexy urban bar/​lounge (replete with DJ, dance floor, and outdoor deck). If you transplanted this venue to San Francisco, it would easily become one of the city’s top bars. And this is coming from a guy who’s been to his fair share of city bars. Yes, it was THAT cool.
But more importantly, the drinks were out of this world! They had about 5 or 6 featured libations for the night (ranging from tequila to gin to bourbon). All the spirits were premium (209 Gin, Espalon Tequila, etc.) and perfectly balanced with inventive ingredients. My favorite cocktail was the Hot Rock (tequila, cucumber, muddled habanero, served over a giant ice cube). It was the perfect blend of hot and sweet. It was like the best margarita I’ve ever had.
Greg, Adrian, and the entire ROTD staff were super professional and friendly. These guys worked their asses off all day and all night long. They must have started setting up around noon, and served drinks til 3am. These guys def earned their money.
If I ever get married and have the financial means, I will hire Rye On The Road in a heartbeat!

These guys ROCK! Hire them for your next event… seriously!

Justin made a very different and unique fruit drinks. One of the best.
Craig made one of the sweetest and tastiest latte.
Thank you Joe for making my second latte.
You guys were polite, professional, friendly, and worked so well.
All my friends complimented how well you made drinks the whole night.

Cool venue. Its free to get in. WOOT! Basil gimlet was worth trying.

I haven’t written a review in ages, but had to jump in to sing the praises of Rye on the Road.
Jon and his crew are professional, creative, thoughtful and a pleasure to work with. Their fresh ingredients and hand-​crafted cocktails make any event special.
I could not recommend them more, they are absolutely fantastic.

My girlfriend procured the services of Rye on the Road for my birthday party, which helped make it the best one I’ve ever had. John was great, he gave us a selection of various drinks to chose from for a menu. I ended up picking 5 cocktails and I loved them all. Doug, our bartender for the night was excellent, very knowledgable on all things cocktails and spirits. I’m very picky when it comes to mixology and I was seriously impressed. They even have a mini version of the bar at Rye which they brought along to serve from. Anyways, the whole thing is very cool and great party idea for anyone serious about cocktails.

I ordered 5 bottles of Rye’s signature Basil Gimlets (with gin, of course!) for my birthday party earlier this year.
They came exactly as ordered — perfectly mixed and contained in very cool bottles which made it very easy to pour.
Needless to say, my friends and I guzzled all of it down quickly — next time I’ll order more!

Rye on the Road is vital for your next event! They have the product knowledge, amazing bars that they can set up just about anywhere and they offer excellent service. Their bartenders are some of the best in the business and can cater to your every demand making amazing cocktails that mesh with your event. I worked with their team on SF Chefs. Food. Wine. this year where they organized multiple bars and set up a cocktail competition flawlessly and simultaneously! Jon Gasparini and his crew are amazing!

I’ve always been a big fan of Rye, so it’s only natural that I would also LOVE Rye on the Road, with all the same delicious cocktail concoctions as Rye, except they bring the party to you!!! They recently provided pre-​mixed coolers to an event I attended. These light yellow gin-​based fizzy cocktails with flavors of ginger were so incredibly delicious and came packaged in super clever and adorable stopper glass bottles. A friend of mine booked an upcoming hand-​crafted cocktail party for 20 guests with Rye on the Road and I cannot wait to see how it turns out!

Asking Rye On the Road to cater cocktails for my fundraising event was one of the best decisions I’ve made yet in San Francisco. The staff was so professional, helpful, and attentive. From the first time I called, they asked the right questions to help me figure out what types of drinks were appropriate, how much I would need and how the logistics of my event should be set up. Rye on the Road offered a huge array of cocktail options and I had a great time going into Rye Bar and tasting some possible cocktails that they offered to serve. They used only the freshest ingredients (fresh fruits, herbs, and juices are visible from the bar in Rye and you can see how fresh everything is when the bartender makes the drinks) and it really came through in the taste of the drinks. Rye on the Road arrived early to my event, having made the drinks the morning of the event and delivered them straight to the room where we were holding the reception; Jon Gasparini (the owner) even texted me earlier in the week and in the day to reassure me that they’d be there, be on time, and would have everything ready. The drinks they made tasted incredible and were tailored to the theme of our event. Also, they were served in retro-​style glass bottles that added a panache and class to our décor.
Rye on the Road is an awesome operation and I’m excited to have another event soon that they can cater!

A large and diverse group decided to go out after dinner for some «fun» time. We initially went to Bourbon and Branch… o.k. without a reservation… big mistake… but the few who did get in came right back out saying they were treated «poorly» so around the corner to Rye. Now here is a warm welcome.
The bar was full; a lively crowd. But we sidled up to the bar and ordered our drinks, the bartenders (esses) promptly served us and I was amazed that they were able to keep track of so many people so many credit cards so many so many… real pros and SO darn nice…
Drinks are not cheap, but they give you a good pour, and they make them right. I had possibly the best Long Island Ice Tea EVER!
Be nice, and they are too.
LindySez — forget having to know the password… forget having to have a «reservation» to have a cocktail… forget Bourbon and Branch… go and have some Rye!

dynamite! found them at the dschool event and they were dynamite. definitely make the party.

I initially saw Rye on the Road back at a party at Stanford’s Design School (d.school) and was amazed at how the guy’s behind Rye were able to take their innovative mixology skills on the road while keeping the same high quality, friendly service, and fast speed I was used to. Since then, they’ve built mobile bars and provided cocktails for events including Macy’s Discarded to Divine Fashion Show, The Mid-​Winter Gala at the Museum of Fine Arts, and a handful of very high-​profile birthday parties and celebrations.
I would definitely recommend this team for any catering needs!