CORPORATE
HAPPY HOURS
EVENTS, GALAS & RECEPTIONS
BAR MAGIC
EXPERIENCE
DROP OFF CATERING
PRIVATE COCKTAIL CLASSES
Elevate your mixology skills with our private cocktail classes, perfect for team-building events, or special celebrations.
Elevate Your Corporate Events WITH CLASSES
Our private cocktail classes offer a hands-on, interactive way to engage your group, encouraging collaboration, and creativity—all while crafting expertly balanced drinks.
Led by our skilled bartenders, each class guides your team through the art of mixology, from shaking and stirring to garnishing like a pro. Whether you're celebrating a company milestone, hosting a client appreciation event, or just looking for a unique way to connect, our private classes create the perfect blend of education and entertainment.
We provide all the ingredients, tools, and expert instruction—just bring your team and a taste for great cocktails. Book your private cocktail class today and raise the bar on your next corporate gathering.
WHY PRESENT TENSE BAR?
Our bar cart is fully customizable for events of all kinds, perfect for galas and fundraisers.
Present Tense Bar excels at entertaining guests, and collecting valuable marketing data. We can curate every aspect of the experience, from the drink menu to the appearance of our bar cart. Our husband & wife team is here to treat every event as our own.
01 CONNECT WITH US
Fillout our questionaire online which will walk you through the date & time of your event and what your vision is.
02 PLAN WITH US
Planning with us is easy! After we confirm our time, we select a spot for us to set up our mobile bar and select a package.
03 CELEBRATE WITH US
Our professional bartenders and catering team show up, set up and get ready to party! We're here to make your event a great one.
HAPPY WORDS FROM OUR CLIENTS
Our start-to-finish attention to detail and hands-on management bring visions to life. We leverage our 20+ years in Michelin-starred restaurants and events to bring a classy, delicious, and worry-free beverage program to your event.
OUR STORY
Present Tense was born out of the Pandemic in 2020. We started by delivering ready-to-drink bottled cocktails and bar snacks during those times when almost the entire world was shut down. Present Tense has since evolved into an event based catering company bringing the bar and bar snacks to event venues, homes, office, festivals, and amenity floors.
Co-owner and founder Derek Mercer spent 20 years working behind bars and in kitchens at some of Chicago’s best restaurants such as Spring, Spiaggia, Blackbird, Pastoral, and Osteria via Stato. Co-owner and wife Renee Prusacki is a full time architect at a large Chicago firm but still finds time to appear at events as well as contribute to the design, aesthetic, and branding of the company. Renee does a lot of behind scenes work while Derek will mostly be found behind the bar and answering sales calls.