Food truck serves beer, cocktails

Rusty Rae/News-Register##Nick and Natalie Manzke have opened their Fresh Pint food and beverage truck in The Vineyard pod near Grocery Outlet. The truck serves beer, wine, cocktails and “Devil Dogs,” a hot dog named in honor of Nick’s status as a retired Marine. Also a musician, Nick plans to host karaoke there on Thursday evenings and live music on other occasions.

Musician and retired Marine Nick Manzke is planning to transform a parking lot food truck pod into an entertainment hangout spot.

“I hope people will come out, get a drink, get some food from the other trucks and listen to music,” he said.

Fresh Pint is the name of the small black mobile bar cart. It’s located at Food Carts at The Vineyard, the pod next to Grocery Outlet at 568 N.E. Highway 99W. The same name also applies to his band, which has been performing in the Yamhill County area since he moved to McMinnville in 2025.

The bar sells beer in cans and on tap, including made-in-McMinnville selections from Heater Allen. It also serves ciders, non-alcoholic beverages, local wines and a variety of cocktails.

While the cocktail menu currently is limited, with half a dozen familiar types, Manzke said he can make anything for which he has the right liquor and mixers.

Manzke formed his original band while he was stationed in Maryland. He found new bandmates — a lead guitar player, bassist and drummer — after retiring and relocating to Oregon with his wife and three daughters, now 17, 13 and 10.

The current version of Fresh Pint plays 1990s and 2000s rock, classic rock and other genres. He also plays solo gigs.

Before retiring, Manzke said he had been thinking about his next venture. “The idea of a little bar was in the back of my head,” he said.

He wanted something mobile so he could take it to weddings, parties and other events to both serve drinks and act as a DJ or karaoke leader.

In the food cart pod, he plans to host karaoke every Thursday evening with a wide selection of songs on the list — “almost everything.”

He will book live acts on The Vineyard’s stage on weekends, too.

Manzke grew up in Minnesota and started playing guitar at age 10. He joined the Marines after high school and served in the infantry for the first half of his 22-year career, then became a commissioned officer working in intelligence.

He is a graduate of Oregon State University, something visitors to the truck will realize from its Beaver decal. He also has an MBA from the University of Hawaii and a master’s degree in leadership from a military school.

Fresh Pint — the mobile bar, not the musical group — is open from late afternoon through the evening. Most of that time, other food trucks are open at The Vineyard, but he also serves some food in case they are not. Since he’s a former Marine, he named his dishes a Devil Dog and a Devil Brat.