By Elizabeth Barhydt
Before the Half Pint even pours its first drink, people tend to stop mid-conversation. Some take out their phones. Others approach slowly, unsure whether they’re admiring a vintage Italian vehicle, a compact sculpture, or a bar that somehow materialized in a driveway. It’s all three.
The Top Hops Half Pint is a mobile tap truck owned and operated by Christina Cahill and Ted Kenny, Greenwich residents and seasoned hospitality professionals. The petite, hand-restored Piaggio Ape—under ten feet in length—is equipped with six tap lines and a backstory rooted in postwar Italy, carried through the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and now parked in Fairfield and Westchester Counties.
Christina, once a Greenwich papergirl, now rolls a taproom into town events, graduation parties, weddings, and corporate functions. She introduced the Half Pint to The Greenwich Sentinel with an email that blended business and nostalgia: “How I wish that you had existed way back when in the day when my family moved to town in the ‘70s. I was a papergirl and would have so enjoyed putting your publication on the front steps of my Greenwich Time customers.”
Now, she delivers something different: curated libations, served with precision and a sense of occasion.
The Half Pint is the roadworthy extension of the Kennys’ original venture, Top Hops Beer Shop, which operates from Essex Market in Manhattan. In New York, the couple built a reputation for pairing deep knowledge with disarming hospitality, transforming their shop into a hybrid of bottle shop, taproom, and educational hub. With the Half Pint, they’ve mobilized that ethos.
“This is not your average kegger,” *The Purist* wrote. Clients echo the sentiment. “A home run business,” said organizers of the Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Corporation’s 150th anniversary. “We heard nothing but rave reviews,” added Lisa of The Greenwich Land Trust. “Super cute and a hit,” noted Kate, an event planner. One financial firm simply thanked the Kennys for “lots of beer (and wine) filled smiles.”
Christina handles operations, logistics, and client services. Ted manages the taps. “When someone tells me, ‘I don’t like beer,’ I say, ‘You just haven’t tasted the beer you love yet,’” Ted told *The Express Magazine*. Their full-service package includes site visits, licensing, set-up, professional bartenders, eco-friendly glassware, and quiet generators for off-grid locations.
Their menu is wide-ranging: IPAs, prosecco, Margaritas, mocktails, Wölffer’s Summer in a Bottle Rosé, and non-alcoholic offerings from Athletic Brewing. Every beverage is selected to reflect the event’s tone—whether it’s a corporate cocktail hour or a backyard celebration. For kids and non-drinkers, lemon fizzies and sparkling juices are always on tap.
Each event includes up to two bartenders trained for both technical proficiency and gracious service. The emphasis is not on volume, but on ritual. “We’re not a one-size-fits-all service,” Christina said. “We tailor every detail to the event.”
The truck’s form factor is part of its appeal. Weighing under 1,000 pounds, it can fit through standard double doors. Its clean lines and vintage aesthetic have been featured in *Hamptons Magazine*, *Alexa*, *Greenwich Magazine*, and *Northforker*. One reviewer dubbed it “the sweetest ride in the area.”
Still, Christina underscores that the service is more than novelty. “We are professional and reliable partners,” she said. “We have a proven track record with large-scale corporate clients, private clubs, charity partners, and individuals.”
When the party winds down, the Half Pint rolls away, leaving behind empty glasses, cheerful guests, and a pause that lingers. “You all were awesome to work with,” said Sara after a recent event. “We had the BEST time.”
Christina concluded her note to the Sentinel with a personal thank-you: “You published both of my parents’ obituaries last year. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your kind and generous approach to local obituaries.”
The papergirl who once pedaled through town now arrives in a tiny truck to pour something colder and, in its own way, just as memorable.
For more information, contact Christina Cahill at beer@tophops.com
