We were lucky to catch up with Julie McCormick recently and have shared our conversation below.
Julie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I don’t think there was one specific moment where I woke up and decided to start a mobile bar business.
The story really starts when I turned 21 and visited Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco. Up until then, a drink was just a drink. Walking into that space completely changed how I viewed cocktails. The atmosphere, the creativity, the hospitality, the storytelling, it felt like an experience rather than simply going out for a drink. I was hooked.
Years later, during COVID in 2020, I started making cocktails at home. What began as a hobby quickly became an obsession. I was reading cocktail books, watching videos, making syrups, experimenting with ingredients, and learning everything I could. The deeper I got, the more I realized I wasn’t just interested in cocktails themselves. I loved the creativity behind them and the way they brought people together.
At the time, I was building a career in operations, human resources, and labor relations. My professional life was focused on solving problems, managing projects, building processes, and helping organizations run effectively. Cocktails became my creative outlet. They gave me a way to create something tangible, tell stories, and bring people joy.
As I became more involved in the Martinez community, attending art shows, local markets, book events, and small business gatherings, I started noticing opportunities everywhere. Some of my favorite memories and conversations happened while sitting around a bar with friends or complete strangers. I realized that hospitality has a unique way of creating connections between people who otherwise may never have met.
That’s when the idea for Ravendark Cocktails started taking shape. What if I could combine my love of cocktails, hospitality, and community into something bigger? What if I could bring thoughtfully crafted drinks directly into these community spaces and help create memorable experiences around them?
What excited me most wasn’t necessarily starting a business. It was creating experiences. A great cocktail/mocktail is memorable, but what people really remember is how they felt. They remember the conversations they had, the people they met, and the experience they shared.
One thing I discovered after starting Ravendark Cocktails is that some of the limitations of a mobile bar are actually strengths. Unlike a traditional cocktail bar, I don’t have a giant back bar with hundreds of bottles and endless options. Instead, I create a small, intentional menu. What surprised me is how often that encourages people to step outside their comfort zones. At a restaurant, it’s easy to order the same drink you always get. At my events, people are more willing to trust the menu and try something completely new. Some of my favorite moments have been watching someone discover a flavor combination or cocktail style they never would have ordered on their own.
It’s also important to me that everyone gets the same experience, regardless of whether they drink alcohol. I never wanted non-alcoholic options to feel like an afterthought. Whether someone orders a cocktail, a spirit-free drink, or doesn’t drink at all, they deserve the same level of care, creativity, and hospitality. Everyone deserves a delicious, intentionally crafted beverage and to feel included in the experience.
From a practical standpoint, I knew I had skills that translated well to running a business. Years of experience in operations, HR, and labor relations taught me how to build systems, solve problems, manage projects, and execute ideas. The cocktails were the passion, but my professional background gave me confidence that I could turn that passion into something sustainable.
Today, Ravendark Cocktails is about much more than serving drinks. It’s about creating experiences, supporting local businesses, collaborating with artists and makers, and helping build community. This might sound a little idealistic, but I genuinely want to leave the world a little better than I found it. I just happen to be doing it my way, through hospitality, connection, and the shared experience of gathering around a great drink.
Julie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Julie McCormick, and I’m the owner of Ravendark Cocktails, a mobile bar business based in Martinez, California.
At its core, Ravendark Cocktails is about creating intentional beverage experiences that bring people together. While we provide cocktail and mocktail service for private events, community gatherings, art shows, book launches, markets, and local businesses, I don’t see myself as simply serving drinks. What I’m really creating are moments of connection.
One of the things that makes Ravendark different is that every menu is custom designed around a theme, event, story, or collaboration. I’ve created cocktail menus inspired by horror films, fiber art exhibitions, local authors, tattoos, tropical escapism, and everything in between. I love the challenge of taking an idea and translating it into a drink that becomes part of the overall experience.
Something else that is incredibly important to me is inclusivity. I believe everyone deserves the same hospitality experience regardless of whether they drink alcohol. Too often non-alcoholic options feel like an afterthought. I put just as much creativity, effort, and intention into my spirit-free beverages because everyone deserves something special in their glass.
One of the unexpected advantages of operating as a mobile bar is that guests are often more adventurous. Since I work from curated menus rather than an endless list of options, people are more willing to trust the experience and try something new. Some of my favorite moments are watching someone discover an ingredient, flavor combination, or cocktail style they never would have ordered on their own.
What I’m most proud of isn’t necessarily any individual cocktail. It’s the community that has formed around this business. Over the past year I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with artists, authors, bookstores, small businesses, event organizers, and countless guests throughout the Bay Area. Those relationships have become the foundation of everything I do.
Of course, there have been some exciting milestones along the way. I became a finalist in the World’s Best Mai Tai Competition in Las Vegas, won my hometown’s Martini Shake Off, and was recently voted Best Cocktails in Martinez for 2026. That last one is especially meaningful because I’m competing against established brick-and-mortar businesses with physical locations and daily customers. Ravendark is a mobile business. Every vote came from people who experienced what I do at an event, heard about it through a friend, or connected with my work through the community. To me, that award represents the power of grassroots support and genuine relationships.
Looking ahead, I want Ravendark Cocktails to continue growing into something that gives back to the community that has supported me. Hospitality has the power to create belonging, bring people together, and open doors. If there’s one thing I’d want people to know about me and my brand, it’s that every decision I make starts with people first. The cocktails matter, but the experience, the connection, and the community matter even more.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Without a doubt, the most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been building genuine relationships within my community.
I haven’t relied heavily on paid advertising or large marketing campaigns. Instead, I’ve focused on showing up, supporting local businesses, collaborating with artists, authors, bookstores, makers, and event organizers, and creating experiences that people genuinely enjoy talking about and sharing with others.
As a mobile business, every event is an opportunity to meet new people. I’ve found that when you create a memorable experience, people remember it. They tell their friends, they follow you on social media, they invite you to future events, and they become advocates for your business. Word-of-mouth has been incredibly powerful for me.
Social media has certainly played an important role, but I view it more as a tool for storytelling and staying connected than a sales platform. I enjoy sharing the creative process, from developing recipes and making syrups to preparing for events and collaborating with local businesses. I think people connect with authenticity, and I’ve found that being myself online has helped build trust and community.
Another important part of my growth has been saying “yes” to opportunities, especially early on. Many of my favorite collaborations and partnerships started because I was willing to participate in a community event, support another small business, or take a chance on an idea that sounded interesting.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that Ravendark Cocktails has grown almost entirely through community support, word-of-mouth referrals, and genuine relationships. Winning Best Cocktails in Martinez for 2026 was a perfect example of that. Unlike traditional bars and restaurants with a physical location and daily foot traffic, I’m a mobile business. Every vote came from people who attended an event, experienced what I do firsthand, or heard about Ravendark through someone they trust. To me, that’s proof that community is still the most powerful marketing tool there is.
At the end of the day, people don’t just remember the drink. They remember how they felt. If I can create an experience that makes someone feel welcome, excited, and connected, the business growth tends to follow naturally.
Have you ever had to pivot?
One of the biggest pivots I’ve had to make was realizing that Ravendark Cocktails could no longer be treated like a hobby.
When I first started making cocktails at home, it was purely for fun. It was my creative outlet after spending my days working in operations, human resources, and labor relations. I enjoyed learning techniques, creating recipes, and sharing drinks with friends, but I never expected it to become a business.
As opportunities started appearing, local events, collaborations, private bookings, community partnerships, I found myself at a crossroads. I could continue treating it as something I did occasionally, or I could take it seriously and build something sustainable.
The challenge was that I was already working a full-time career while trying to grow a business on nights and weekends. Suddenly I wasn’t just creating cocktails. I was managing inventory, designing menus, building systems, maintaining insurance, marketing events, transporting equipment, networking, and handling all of the behind-the-scenes work that comes with running a business.
The pivot wasn’t really about cocktails. It was about mindset. I had to stop thinking like someone with a hobby and start thinking like a business owner.
What helped me make that transition was realizing that many of the skills I had developed throughout my career were transferable. My background in operations taught me how to build processes and solve problems. My experience in HR taught me how to build relationships and communicate effectively. Once I stopped viewing those experiences as separate from Ravendark and started viewing them as assets, everything began to click.
That shift changed the trajectory of the business. Instead of simply looking for the next event, I started thinking about long-term goals, brand identity, community partnerships, and the type of impact I wanted to have.
Looking back, I’m grateful for that pivot because it taught me that growth often requires letting go of the version of yourself that feels comfortable. Sometimes the next step isn’t learning something completely new, it’s recognizing that you’re more prepared than you think you are.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Ravendark_cocktails
- Other: https://beacons.ai/ravendarkcocktails
I don’t have a website yet but when I do, it’ll be linked to my beacons, so I would like to include my beacons link if possible. Thank you
Image Credits
Morii Collective