Kansas Citian behind exclusive cigar lounge pops up with mobile cocktail bar
A Kansas Citian behind an exclusive cigar lounge wants to bring her love of hosting to more of KC with a mobile cocktail concept.
Sherri’s Executive Lounge owner Nayeli Sharp, who runs the cigar lounge on 39th Street with her husband, Jason Sharp, is starting KC Pours this summer, available at select Kansas City events and for catering services.
KC Pours and Sherri’s Executive Lounge were born out of the Sharp family’s love of hosting — something they don’t spend too much time doing anymore since they had children. But the idea sprang up after the success of Sherri’s, now in its second year of business in Volker.
“I’d grow things like mint leaves in the garden, then make mojitos, and I loved serving it to my friends and family,” Sharp said. “Why not do a business for it?”
Also a nephrology nurse educator, Sharp wanted something in her life that would be a fun pivot. She still has her day job, but on the weekends, KC Pours will allow her to be a host once again.
Sharp hopes to feature several local ties as she connects with KC purveyors of liquor and beer. One relationship she’s already secured is with West Bottoms Whiskey, a distillery known for its various whiskey blends and an award-winning old fashioned mix.
“It’s not just having my business grow, but it’s helping the community grow as well, together,” Sharp said.
KC Pours shared a main menu, though it could and will change depending on the event or client. Guests may see beverages like an old fashioned featuring West Bottoms Whiskey, as well as fruit-forward riffs on other classic cocktails. Multiple margaritas make the menu, and Sharp differentiates them with fresh watermelon juice in one and hibiscus in another.
Because of her love of gardening, Sharp also plans to use fresh herbs and vegetables to craft and garnish cocktails, using ingredients such as basil in a cucumber gimlet rosemary in a peach bourbon spritz.
And something that Sharp is proud to offer is an extensive mocktail menu of drinks that actually taste like a well-crafted cocktail, sans alcohol. Her current menu actually offers nine mocktails, compared to eight boozy beverages.
“We’ve been to a lot of places that have mocktails, but truly they’re just like juice and maybe a splash of soda water,” Sharp said.
The mocktail menu is similar in flavor to the cocktails, often bright, refreshing and/or herbaceous — like the pineapple ginger mule, with pineapple juice, ginger beer, lime and mint, or the blackberry basil “no-jito” that combines blackberries, basil, lime and sparkling water.
Sharp will also serve wine by the glass and beer, either craft, domestic, import or non-alcoholic.
The public can interact with Sharp’s KC Pours through community events she plans to book, like the 515 Music Hub, which KC Pours will pop up at every Friday. The 515 Music Hub is also new, a partnership between Music Across Borders, Open Doors KC and KC Jazz Alive and has hosted musicians at its rehearsal space and live venue.
But KC Pours, a cocktail catering service, is also available for weddings, corporate events and fundraisers. Sharp can make the cocktail menu based on what the client wants, including classics or more craft drinks.
Eventually Sharp wants KC Pours to become a more settled concept in its own brick-and-mortar space. But making it mobile to start is a way to get the name out there and start working in the community.
To find out where KC Pours is popping up, or how to book it, potential customers can find more information on the mobile cocktail business’s Facebook page.
