Hey, I’m Sam!
I started Roll Up Herbal Bar for one reason: to provide culinary beverages for folks who aren’t drinking alcohol, but crave the complexity of a well-crafted cocktail.
As an experienced bartender, my favorite part of this job is creating new and exciting drinks from ingredients that are fresh, local, and maybe just a bit unexpected.
As an artist and former theater geek, it’s fun to concoct visually appealing beverages, and create beautiful, memorable experiences.
I’ve also had the distinction of being named a finalist in the national Zero-Proof Cocktail Competition, as well as 3rd Best Craft Cocktail for Best of Haywood County, and Best Queer Owned Food/Bev in HayCo.
Okay, I’m done talking about myself. Looking forward to meeting you!
(Photo of me doin’ my thing by Golden Bear Alchemy)
How This Started
Born in the industry
I was 14 with my first serving job, 21 with my first bartending job, and in my 30s when I stopped drinking. Still working behind the bar, I loved putting together new drink recipes with ingredients straight from the garden. Feeling confident that I could translate these skills into incredible mocktails, I started playing around with ingredients and different approaches.
They. Were. Awful.
Finally, one recipe worked
Something Signature was the first mocktail I made that worked. Balanced, not too sweet, not too tart, visually interesting, and herbaceous. Quickly, I got to work on the rest of the menu, knowing I wanted a wide variety without offering a million different drinks.
Now, how do I serve this to folks?
Picking the right vehicle
What is the most iconic vehicle of the flower-power generation? What van has this much character and style? Yeah, we could have saved some trouble picking something that wasn’t a 50+ year old steel-bodied beast, but would an old UPS van make people smile the way this 1971 VW Bus does?
No. The answer is no.
Finding the right crew
After months of research into equipment, creating the floorplan, and drawing up the vision, it was crucial to find the right guys for the job. Sunshine Conversions had experience with vintage vehicle buildouts and their attention to detail is unmatched. Cody and his team labored for nine months before Herbie was ready to make his debut.
To lovingly quote Cody, “I’ll never build another one of these again.”
While Herbie gets a makeover
Nine months is a long time to sit and wonder if these drinks were good enough. So, after a little more research, we got our Lil’ Buddy Bar and set up anywhere anyone would let me. Drag shows, on the sidewalk, a funeral (not kidding), and ultimately, behind Frog Level Brewing. That brewery was where I had the idea to make my passion a business, so it felt full circle.
Little did I know that Frog Level would grow to be more than a place to pop up.
Give a mouse a cookie…
Setting up behind Frog Level Brewing was a great way to introduce my business to locals and visitors alike. After a month or so, winter came, and I couldn’t feel my feet halfway through my shifts. So, I asked if I could set up the Lil’ Buddy inside. They were more than happy to bring me in from the cold.
After a little while, I noticed how big their building was and asked a bold question…
”Y’all got some space you’re not using?”
Just a couple hundred square feet would be amazing. At the time, I was renting a small kitchen space at another local spot, but couldn’t keep any of my equipment there. All I was looking for was a place to cook my bases and keep this stuff out of my small/aging house.
They had a large storage closet they weren’t using, situated between their two event spaces. I’d have access to a 3-bay sink, and maybe I could expand out a little if it grew popular enough. I built that space out in 3 and a half weeks. We opened February 2024.
Seven Months Later
Tropical Storm Helene ripped through the mountains and caused unprecedented destruction, property and ecological damage, and loss of life. It was devastating, and frankly, we still feel the aftereffects of that hundred-year storm.
Frog Level was no exception. After seven amazing months, my scrappy little spot was gone forever, along with several other creatively-led small businesses. It was terrible, but I cannot talk about this personally without citing how unbelievably supportive our community has been.
Rebuilt and kept going
Within five minutes of finding out I couldn’t re-open in Frog Level, I found a new space in a revitalized school building. It was destined to be a creative hub with a health and wellness focus. I was in the principal’s office, because of course I was (hello, former hall monitor).
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, we were only able to be at that location for a mere nine months. Longer than seven! But y’all, I’m here to bartend, not BUILD bars. What the heck was I going to do?
Re-rebuilt (and still going)
Thanks again to the amazing small-business community in Waynesville, I found another spot within a matter of weeks. This wasn’t a storage closet, or a less-than-200 sqft office. This was a real spot. With real space. And landlords who care about the success of not only their tenants, but the town as a whole.
August 15, 2026, we celebrated one year in this new home. Sharing the spot with Golden Bear Alchemy has been such an incredible experience as well!
What’s Next?
Shifting gears
In the beginning, the question was, “how can I show people that mocktails can be complex and worthwhile?” I think we’ve done a pretty good job answering that for the last few years.
Now, the focus is on creating experiences. Memories. Sharing knowledge. Swapping stories. Deepening connection with our food, our friends, and our surroundings.
Still bartending
One of my favorite things about this job is that it’s not always routine. I get to travel to some pretty spectacular locations to share my craft and enhance experiences. That’s not something I plan on giving up anytime soon.
Developing more recipes, pushing my culinary knowledge, connecting with other sober industry professionals, it all sounds so dreamy!