Tap Wagon owner Travis Close displays his creation.Signal Mountain resident Travis Close is bringing Chattanooga a new way to enjoy beer at parties and events.
Close had the idea to offer a beer trailer that could be rented out for private events. The Tap Wagon was created by himself and a friend who builds beer systems for restaurants.
“I enjoy craft beer, and there’s a huge craft beer movement going on right now,” Close said. “It was an opportunity to merge a love of mine with the business side to allow people to taste beer they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere or may not be used to.”
The custom 5-by-8-foot trailer can hold up to six different taps, and more than one keg can be attached to each tap. The customer has more than 100 beer options, ranging from rare craft brews to Bud Light.
Each tap is set individually for the optimum level of carbon dioxide for that particular beer, said Close.
“A lot of restaurants don’t even have individual settings,” he said. “It really helps the beer taste better – the way the brewery designed for it to be served.”
The Tap Wagon is available for rental to any location within 50 miles of Chattanooga, he said.
Close orders the beer and delivers it to the location refrigerated. He said he is unaware of any other private company in the area that does this. Distributors offer trailers, but you can only serve their beers, he said.
If the Tap Wagon does well, he said he is looking into offering a larger trailer as well.