Meet Erin Fox | Owner & Creator of Foxtails: A mobile cocktail bar

We had the good fortune of connecting with Erin Fox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Really, Covid was a wake up call for me. There were about 3 years where, I was mentioning to friends and family that I wanted to start my own business. I have been calling my cocktails “Foxtails” for literally 7-8 years at this point. Covid really pushed me into the uncomfortable of not knowing where I stood in my industry & I wanted to take my fate into my own hands. I was very comfortable for the 3 years before that, working as the General Manager of a very successful bar with a great company (why would you leave?) But then came Covid & I finally started writing my business plan. I brought it to people who have always believed in me and got some people to back my big plan. Instead of continuing to build success for others, it was time to create it for me & my brand.

What should our readers know about your business?
Foxtails is a 1960 airstream that has been renovated into a mobile bar. We have a full service bar with two ice wells, a back bar, reach in cooler & a four compartment sink. We are a full functioning bar! For ever event we come up with customizable Foxtails (what we call all of our cocktails.) Every event is unique & what makes Foxtails unique is — we make the drinks per event. We love to make Foxtails that are inspired by these events. At most events you won’t find the same drinks unless requested. For example we have a skincare party coming up and we’ve make a Foxtail with aloe & basil that is inspired by one of her skincare products. And then at a wedding earlier this year we misted the couples initials across the Foxtail & so on. Getting creative is what we love!

I have been in the bar & restaurant world for over a decade now, after a few struggles of finding “office jobs” and seeing where life was taking me. I realized my passion is behind the bar after a few bar gigs, but really discovered I loved bartending working at The Overlook Lodge owned by Jacob Trevino. He gave me the chance to work only Saturdays, but it helped me find my passion for the craft. & He quickly saw what I brought to the team, helping push me into leaving the corporate world & come back to the industry — while helping him run his bar.

I love surprising people with new drinks & being an escape. The real world is very imported to be tuned into, but everyone deserves a beat here and there to take a break. Bringing the good times with my trailer is super rewarding, but getting here wasn’t easy, I was confused growing up being taught that college is the only option next. Having to know where your life was going at 18 was not something I was comfortable with. So there were some struggles here & there with pressure of doing what everyone else was doing, but I finally realized what made me happiest.

I think that was one of the main things I learned during my career is that you have to do what makes you happy. Even if its not what everyone else is doing, that’s okay. Who cares what other people think. Easier said than done, I still look for validation all the time. But instead I do that with creating fun events, or great cocktails and get to see smiles on peoples faces. Being a leader behind the bar has also been super rewarding. I’ve got to help a lot of people in their bar training and day to day operations and how to be a good leader. Seeing these people grow in their careers has made me super proud and humble!

Foxtails as a brand is very me. I’ve been behind the bar at many different places creating cocktails for peoples pallets specifically. So now I can bring that to more people and make things like their wedding days memorable forever. We a playful pop-up bar with clever craft cocktails. We bring the best in the industry to shake drinks on your important day while a smile, fast service & even better drinks.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is an awesome question. I actually have a friend visiting from Jamaica right now so being able to see Cincinnati through his eyes has been fun. Our first couple of days, I threw him into working and helping our wonderful friends at The Overlook Lodge. This place holds a special place in my heart as its where I was given a chance to grow my career (thank you, Jacob Trevino). Its also a great neighborhood bar. Our days have consisted of visiting Mason so he could see Suzy (our trailers name) and suburb of Cincinnati. But the first night, we went to Taglio to get the best pizza in Cincinnati. I have taken him to PearlStar for this amazing oysters and martinis for dinner & we ended the night at Tokyo Kitty in a private karaoke room. Places we have on the list for him to still visit: Somerset, Tiki Tiki Bang Bang, Party Source & Jungle Jims.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My dad deserves credit in my story! This guy has a full time job, he’s in sales so as we know that is a full time job, plus more time. Along with his own business where he has multiple apartment & housing rentals. He has been with me since day one, where I went to pick out the trailer, to backing me financially, and I now call him my Operations Engineer. He comes to events to make sure I can park safely, helps with all things electrical & so many more operations that go into our little mobile bar. He will drop his weekend plans to make sure my business is a success. I am so grateful to have him by my side & my Operations Engineer. And a shout out to his wife, Jen for letting me borrow his time so much and supporting us.

My family means a lot to me so I have to shout out my mom and my step dad, Don. Who help in anyway they can with my business, wether that’s driving drink deliveries during covid or answering a call from me while I’m having a stressful go about things. I am so grateful to have their support.

My friends Ryan & Autumn Cayabyab are also huge in my success. They’re my first investors and first people who really believed in my business idea. And even now they’re super supportive but also always push me to be the best business owner & always challenge me to find new ideas and keep the business fresh. Autumn built my website & helps me with all my marketing without the blink of an eye. They’re truly the best.

There are so many people I can name and thank. It takes a village and I am so grateful for my village.

Website: www.findfoxtails.com

Instagram: @findfoxtails

Facebook: Foxtails: cocktails for the cunning

Image Credits
Mike C Photography David Stephen