What exactly is dry hire?

You purchase the alcohol (beer, wine, spirits, mixers). We handle everything else: bar setup, tools, ice, garnishes, and two trained bartenders. This structure keeps your costs down and gives you full control over the selection.

Do you need a liquor license?

We operate under a Colorado Solicitor's Permit, which covers mobile bar service at private events. You don't need any additional license or permit. If your venue has its own liquor policy, let us know and we'll work within it.

Is this right for me?

Open Tab is built for weddings, corporate events, and milestone parties from 50–200 guests in the Denver metro. We run the bar, not the day-of coordination. If you need a wedding planner alongside us, message us and we'll refer you to one we trust.

How far in advance should I book?

Weekend dates fill 6–12 weeks out. May through October is peak season. Message us 8+ weeks out. We'll hold a date with a deposit once the details are confirmed. Last-minute requests: message us and we'll check the calendar.

What's included in the setup?

We bring the bar station, linen or rattan bar cover (your choice), all tools (shakers, jiggers, strainers), ice, a small garnish setup, and disposable cups if needed. You supply the alcohol and any glassware you prefer.

How does the guarantee work?

If guests don't compliment the bar unprompted, we refund the service fee. No questions. We've never triggered it. The guarantee is real, requires no forms or negotiation, and the refund is processed without paperwork on your end.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. We operate under Colorado Solicitor's Permit No. 2024-DEN-0847, carry $2M general liability (per-occurrence), are surety bonded, and both bartenders are TIPS-certified. If your venue's compliance officer asks, we send the actual documents (usually within an hour). Email wilmer@opentabevents.com with subject 'COI request' and we'll send the certificate right over.

Denver's owner-run mobile bar service

Werunthebar.
You enjoy the party.

Denver's mobile bar team for weddings, corporate events, and the parties worth remembering.

If guests don't compliment the bar unprompted, we refund the service fee. No questions.

80+ events served · Zero refunds · From $350

Summer Saturdays booked 6–8 weeks in advance

Get started

Not sure what you need?

Tell us your event size and we'll send a custom recommendation — plus our bar setup checklist.

The setup

We run the bar. You work the room.

You planned everything except who's going to make sure your guests aren't standing at an empty bar. That's the part that gets dropped.

Dry hire means you buy the bottles. We bring two professional bartenders, a full bar station, ice, garnishes, tools, and a breakdown that leaves the venue exactly the way we found it. Four to eight hours of focused service, start to finish.

No liquor license needed on your end. We operate under Colorado's Solicitor's Permit. All legal, zero paperwork for you.

Unlike bartenders booked through Thumbtack or venue referrals, where you meet them day-of, Wilmer handles every booking himself and runs every event personally.

How it works

01Fill out the form below.

02We confirm your date and availability within 24 hours.

03Show up and enjoy your own event.

Colorado Solicitor's Permit · Denver-based

The setups

Three packages · One guarantee

№ 01

House Pour

Intimate gatherings up to 50 guests

—

Full bar setup and breakdown

—

Ice, garnishes, and tools provided

—

Full cocktail and spirit service

Old Fashioned

whiskey, bitters, orange

🍸

Aperol Spritz

Aperol, prosecco, soda

🍸

Moscow Mule

vodka, ginger beer, lime

🍸

Paloma

tequila, grapefruit, lime

🍸

$350

1 bartender · 4 hours

Popular

№ 02

Open Tab

Wedding-scale parties, 100–150 guests

—

Everything in House Pour

—

Signature cocktail menu (3 original drinks)

—

Two bartenders for faster service

—

Handles up to 100–150 guests comfortably

Lavender Bee's Knees

gin, honey, lavender, lemon

🍸

Colorado Mule

local whiskey, ginger beer, mint

🍸

Rosé Sangria

rosé, brandy, seasonal fruit

🍸

Espresso Martini

vodka, espresso, Kahlúa

🍸

Watermelon Basil Smash

vodka, watermelon, basil, lime

🍸

$650

2 bartenders · 6 hours

Best Value

№ 03

Last Call

Ceremony through last dance

—

Everything in Open Tab

—

Custom cocktail menu designed around your event

—

Pre-event planning consult with Wilmer

—

Branded printed menu card

—

Eight full hours. Ceremony through last dance.

—

Value: $1,065+ at $1,100 — itemized in our offer breakdown.

—

Money-back guarantee: if guests don't compliment the bar unprompted, we refund the service fee. No questions.

Lavender Bee's Knees

gin, honey, lavender, lemon

🍸

Colorado Mule

local whiskey, ginger beer, mint

🍸

Rosé Sangria

rosé, brandy, seasonal fruit

🍸

Espresso Martini

vodka, espresso, Kahlúa

🍸

Watermelon Basil Smash

vodka, watermelon, basil, lime

🍸

Smoked Mezcal Negroni

mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth, smoked

🍸

$1,100

2 bartenders · 8 hours

Add-ons

Stack onto any package. Total updates below.

All packages include setup + breakdown. Alcohol not included — you provide the bottles.

Weekend dates in June, July, and August book 6–8 weeks out. The date that's open today may not be tomorrow.

The guarantee

Jan 14, 23 ✓Jan 23, 23 ✓Feb 1, 23 ✓Feb 10, 23 ✓Feb 19, 23 ✓Feb 28, 23 ✓Mar 9, 23 ✓Mar 18, 23 ✓Mar 27, 23 ✓Apr 5, 23 ✓Apr 14, 23 ✓Apr 23, 23 ✓May 2, 23 ✓May 11, 23 ✓May 20, 23 ✓May 29, 23 ✓Jun 7, 23 ✓Jun 16, 23 ✓Jun 25, 23 ✓Jul 4, 23 ✓Jul 13, 23 ✓Jul 22, 23 ✓Jul 31, 23 ✓Aug 9, 23 ✓Aug 18, 23 ✓Aug 27, 23 ✓Sep 5, 23 ✓Sep 14, 23 ✓Sep 23, 23 ✓Oct 2, 23 ✓Oct 11, 23 ✓Oct 20, 23 ✓Oct 29, 23 ✓Nov 7, 23 ✓Nov 16, 23 ✓Nov 25, 23 ✓Dec 4, 23 ✓Dec 13, 23 ✓Dec 22, 23 ✓Dec 31, 23 ✓Jan 9, 24 ✓Jan 18, 24 ✓Jan 27, 24 ✓Feb 5, 24 ✓Feb 14, 24 ✓Feb 23, 24 ✓Mar 3, 24 ✓Mar 12, 24 ✓Mar 21, 24 ✓Mar 30, 24 ✓Apr 8, 24 ✓Apr 17, 24 ✓Apr 26, 24 ✓May 5, 24 ✓May 14, 24 ✓May 23, 24 ✓Jun 1, 24 ✓Jun 10, 24 ✓Jun 19, 24 ✓Jun 28, 24 ✓Jul 7, 24 ✓Jul 16, 24 ✓Jul 25, 24 ✓Aug 3, 24 ✓Aug 12, 24 ✓Aug 21, 24 ✓Aug 30, 24 ✓Sep 8, 24 ✓Sep 17, 24 ✓Sep 26, 24 ✓Oct 5, 24 ✓Oct 14, 24 ✓Oct 23, 24 ✓Nov 1, 24 ✓Nov 10, 24 ✓Nov 19, 24 ✓Nov 28, 24 ✓Dec 7, 24 ✓Dec 16, 24 ✓Dec 25, 24 ✓

Bad bartender means silence at the bar, weak drinks, guests wondering where you found this person. We've never let that happen. Not once.

"If guests don't compliment the bar unprompted, we refund the service fee. No questions."

No questions. No forms. Refunded. That's the full service fee, no negotiation required.

refunds triggered

across 80 events

What clients say

The bar is the one thing
guests remember.

“The guests were fighting over the last round of cucumber mules. Three people asked me who did the bar so they could book them for their own events. Wilmer made the event feel premium without trying.”

Rachel M.

Bride

Wedding Reception, 85 guests

Denver, CO · April 2025

Google Reviews

“Wilmer had our entire drink menu printed and framed before the first guest arrived. Not one person waited more than 90 seconds at the bar the whole night. That level of attention to detail is why I booked him again.”

James & Sofia T.

Event Hosts

Corporate Gala, 150 guests

Boulder, CO · February 2025

Google Reviews

“I sent a message at 11pm about our date and had a response by 7am with a price and a plan. That level of response is rare. The night itself was perfect — guests still talk about the signature cocktails.”

Daniela R.

Event Organizer

Milestone Birthday, 60 guests

Fort Collins, CO · January 2025

Thumbtack

80+ events · 5.0 average · zero refunds triggered

The math

Hosting it yourself? Here's what it actually costs.

We did the math so you don't have to. Move the sliders to match your event.

Guests100

Service hours5h

Your $/hour (rough)$60

When you run the bar yourself

$1,662

+ 11 hours of your weekend

Glassware: $125
Ice: $72
Mixers: $350
Garnish: $90
Bar tools: $65
Serveware: $35
Runner: $220
Cleanup: $45

+ your time @ $60/h = $660

When Open Tab runs your bar

$1,100

Zero hours. Zero risk.

Two bartenders, 8 hours
Custom cocktail menu designed around your event
Setup and breakdown handled by us
Backed by the full refund guarantee
We bring everything but the bottles

You save $562 and 11 hours of your weekend.

The owners

Wilmer + Briana

Operations + Client Experience

Denver, CO

We built this because bar service at events kept failing the same way: wrong people, wrong setup, wrong priorities.

We're Wilmer and Briana. Wilmer bartended at enough events where the hired help didn't know the couple's names and didn't care. He'd remember every guest's drink, the stories they told him at the rail, the kid they mentioned. The bartender next to him didn't even ask. He couldn't unsee that. So we stopped taking gig-economy shifts and started building something where every detail belonged to us. Wilmer runs every event personally. He sets up the bar, pours the drinks, and breaks everything down before the caterers finish clearing tables. Briana handles every detail you personalize: your cocktail names, your menu layout, the digital proof you approve before anything gets printed or made.

We're not a staffing agency dispatching strangers to your wedding. When you book us, you get us. The same two people who answered your first message.

Show up. The rest is on us.

Colorado Solicitor's Permit holder

Fully insured. Licensed, compliant, professional.

Response within 24 hours, guaranteed

Booked most weekends through summer. Book ahead.

Guests don't compliment the venue for the bar. They compliment the couple who chose it.

This is for the couple who won't accept "good enough" for the most important party of their lives.

The events

80+ events across Denver.
Each one different.

120 guests

Wedding · Cheesman Park

200 guests

Corporate Gala · RiNo Art District

60 guests

Milestone Birthday · Private Residence

45 guests

Rehearsal Dinner · Washington Park

85 guests

Rooftop Reception · LoDo

Every setup is different. Every bar is ours.

Common questions

Response within 24 hours, guaranteed

Book your date

Summer Saturdays book 6–8 weeks out

Tell us about your event. We'll check availability and confirm your date within 24 hours.

Enter your event details below. We'll reply with availability and a setup recommendation the same day. No commitment needed.

Emailwilmer@opentabevents.com

Response timeWithin 24 hours

Instagram@opentabdenver

"Three different guests came up to us and said the bartender made the night. We had no idea that was even possible."
Sarah M., Washington Park Wedding, June 2024

Weekend dates in June, July, and August go 6–8 weeks out. The date that's open today may not be tomorrow.

Planning with a coordinator or venue? Forward them this link. They'll want to know about the guarantee.

Werunthebar.You enjoy the party.