About Us

Bender Mixology offers boutique mobile bartending and mixology services for events near St. Louis and Chesterfield, providing handcrafted cocktails, curated mocktails, and seamless service for weddings, private celebrations, and corporate gatherings.

Founded and operated by Kelsie Bender, Bender Mixology serves the Metro St. Louis and Southern Illinois region with an emphasis on creativity, quality, and hospitality. What began as a love of cooking evolved into a fascination with mixology—an art that blends flavor, balance, and design to create memorable guest experiences.

Kelsie’s path to mixology wasn’t traditional. She spent years working full-time in small-town bars, mastering the fundamentals the hard way: long nights, quick hands, and a genuine connection with every guest. Between shifts, she studied the science of spirits, spent her savings on ingredients to practice with, and eventually traveled to expand her palate and perspective. What started as curiosity became an obsession with refinement—learning how every element of a cocktail tells a story.

Eventually, she left her full-time job to pursue professional training through A Bar Above and the European Bartending School, earning certifications in advanced mixology, flair, and mocktails. She invested everything she had into building a private inventory—now one of the largest personal bar collections in the region—and began competing nationally and internationally to continue growing her craft.

Unlike many in the industry, Kelsie didn’t start out with connections, backing, or family ties to local venues. She built her business from scratch—one drink, one event, one impression at a time. The only things she had were talent, professionalism, and relentless drive. At first, that wasn’t always enough to get noticed. But by staying true to her vision and sharing her work with heart and consistency, she continues to earn recognition not for who she knows, but for her creativity, authenticity, and artistry.

At its core, Bender Mixology is about intention: no shortcuts, no pre-mixed flavors—just genuine craftsmanship, warm service, and cocktails designed to tell a story worth remembering.