If food trucks were the high-end party essential of the last decade, Andy Cochran is banking on refurbished horse trailers as the adorable event accessory of the current moment. Riding in on a trend of equestrian-themed gin bars that have been the rage in the UK recently, his Inside Rail Event Co. is the first local business to offer a genuine spruced-up pony cart with drink taps, interior lighting, and a sleek bar top for rent at weddings, tailgating events, and VIP receptions.
Before Cochran could take the 1993 trailer (which he bought from a horse-show family in rural Advance, Indiana) on the road, he had to clean out a bit of debris. Manure, that is. Once he gutted it, did a keg upgrade, and added cabinetry, Cochran tapped some local artisans, including fabricator Casey Bigtree and furniture designer Loran Bohall, to help make it the showpiece it is. The trailer had its earliest appearances in 2018 at such events as Cars and Gravy at the National and the Holler on the Hill music fest in Garfield Park.
