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Present Tense Bar
5 ★★★★★ 110 Google reviews · Mobile bartending service — Chicago, Illinois
By appointment — contact to check your date
Craft cocktails delivered to your door or from bartenders at catered events.
Plan your event
- Serves the Chicago, IL area — confirm your venue is inside their travel range when you inquire
- Phone (219) 741-0894
- Website presenttensebar.com
Booking basics
Mobile bartenders book by the date, not the walk-in — popular Saturdays (especially May–October) go months out, so inquire early with your date, venue, guest count, and whether you want a full package or dry hire. Most will hold a date with a deposit and a signed agreement.
How they'll run your bar
“We hired Derek and the Present Tense team to cover our bar needs for our wedding.”
“They showed up with a really lovely selection of wine and suggested a beautiful signature cocktail.”
“They were able to meet our budget, provide AMAZING and delicious service and were so easy to communicate and work with.”
“The staff were extremely attentive and created two cocktails and two mocktail options for our guests (which were delicious).”
Add-ons they offer
“They showed up with a really lovely selection of wine and suggested a beautiful signature cocktail.”
“The staff were extremely attentive and created two cocktails and two mocktail options for our guests (which were delicious).”
What hosts say again and again
“The drinks & custom cocktails were top-notch, the vibes were good, and Derek & crew brought great energy and professionalism.”
“Not only did they provide a unique, refreshing cocktail menu for our recent fundraiser, but their response time and handling the "boring business stuff" was quick and thorough.”
“Extremely easy to work with, communicative, and totally committed to building a fantastic drink menu that fit our event.”
“The team went above and beyond and I would give them my wholehearted endorsement to anyone looking for an event bartending crew.”
From the reviews
Derek was awesome to work with! Very fun pop-up to have in our space, excellent and creative cocktails. Such a visually fun booth, and they took great care to leave things the way they found them.
We had a fantastic experience working with Present Tense Bar for an exclusive, invite-only event with leading voices in the food and beverage industry. From start to finish, their service was exceptional — polished, professional, and perfectly tailored to the occasion.
My building held an event for our high-rise community Residents and contracted Present Tense Bar to assist with the libations for our event. Derek, Caroline, & the PT Team are extremely creative with their offerings, as each person's preference was always delivered upon.
Due to an insurance coverage issue, we found ourselves without a bartender for our benefit taking place that evening. I put out the call for help and Derek answered! He worked quickly to secure all the proper documentation the venue required, and sent us the wonderful Emily as our bartender! She was great!
Booking Present Tense Bar for a wedding
Weddings come up for Present Tense Bar — confirmed on their own site, so they'll know the rhythm of the day: cocktail hour hits all at once, then the bar settles into a steady hum until the last dance. Two numbers get your quote right. First, the staffing math: the standard rule is one bartender per 50–75 guests — so a 150-guest wedding usually means two to three bartenders, and going thin here is the classic cocktail-hour line mistake. Second, drinks per guest: plan on roughly two drinks in the first hour and one per hour after; a dry-hire bartender can turn that into an exact shopping list for your headcount so nothing runs out and nothing goes back to the store.
Check wedding info on their site Wedding bartender guide & checklist →
Corporate events with Present Tense Bar
Reviews and the service's own materials mention corporate events at Present Tense Bar — holiday parties, launches, client mixers. For office events, three things are worth settling on the first call: whether they carry the liquor liability insurance your building or venue requires, whether they can run a mocktail or zero-proof menu alongside the bar, and how invoicing works if your company needs a W-9 and net-30 terms. More on hiring a corporate event bartender →
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