Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. announced a new generation of its Ultimate Craft Beer Truck in collaboration with Summit Truck Body. The truck has has a cooled and insulated body to allow for beverage delivery and features an eight-keg system and a wall of exterior taps, allowing it to act as a pop-up bar for events like music festivals, street fairs or other outdoor events.

Isuzu debuted its Ultimate Craft Beer Truck in 2019, and says its popularity grew alongside sales of craft beers. The company believes the new generation will help small breweries by pulling double duty through distribution and promotional events, as pre-pandemic sales levels return.

What features does the truck have? Just like a mullet, one might say the chassis is the business in the front and the body is the party in the back:

• A Class 5 diesel Isuzu NRR 5.2-liter I4 turbocharged engine, which generates 215 HP and 452-lb.-ft. of torque;
• A low-cab-forward design that gives a view of the ground as little as eight feet from the front of the truck;
• A 16-ft. Summit insulated body that is cooled with a Thermo King 690R with electric standby;
• A 2,500-lb. Maxon TE-25L tuck-away liftgate with side steps—Isuzu notes its capacity and platform are large enough for a loaded pallet jack;
• Two toolboxes provide storage for the reefer power cord, and event materials;
• On the driver’s side, a 13-ft. power retractable awning providing shade and LED lighting for after the sun sets;
• The redesigned tap insert has eight Perlick 650SS taps with individual pressure gauges, and is both taller and deeper than previous generations to accommodate larger tap handles, pitchers and glasses;
• The expanded drip tray incorporates a glass rinser that uses a 5-gal. Corny keg hooked to the system’s gas and drains to a 15-gallon grey water tank that can later be dumped;
• A “Bomber Door” for quick access to beverages kept in the body; and
• A new dual-gas tap system lets servers pour with CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) or N2 (Nitrogen) simultaneously.

“This has been one of the most intriguing products we have been behind,” said Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America. “Most people associate work trucks with box trucks, sweepers, and dumps, but the Ultimate Craft Beer Truck is synonymous with delivering fun. The customers that have bought them have enjoyed a lot of success and we constantly get questions about the truck and if there’s one available. It remains an exciting product.”

“Collaborating with Isuzu on this project has been really exciting,” says Ted Croce, president of Summit Truck Body, “It has challenged us to think about how we engineer our insulated body for a new market, make it exciting, and maximize the features and convenience for those serving from it.”