Why We Named Ourselves After Oklahoma's State Bird

You may be wondering about the name. Fair enough. "Scissortail Bartending" does not immediately tell you we serve drinks at events. But the name is intentional, and the story behind it says a lot about what we want for your day.

The Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

Oklahoma's state bird since 1951, the scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) is one of the most distinctive birds in North America. You cannot miss it. The long, forked tail streamers split the air as it flies, and you can recognize it from hundreds of yards away.

It is graceful. It is elegant. And it is unmistakably Oklahoma.

Every spring, scissor-tailed flycatchers return to Oklahoma from their winter range in Mexico and Central America. They perch on fenceposts and power lines across the state, their salmon-pink underwings flashing as they launch into acrobatic aerial dances to catch insects in flight.

What the Bird Means for Your Event

We named the company after the scissortail because the bird captures what we want your beverage experience to be:

• Distinctive: a scissortail does not blend in, and neither should your drinks. Whether it is a signature mocktail, a dirty soda station, or a full zero-proof cocktail experience, it should be something your guests remember and talk about.
• Graceful: the bird's aerial ballet looks effortless, even though the skill behind it is anything but. Great drink service feels easy to you because of the preparation you never see.
• Approachable: scissortails are not shy. They perch in plain sight, in neighborhoods and fields, near people. Your beverage program is the same: inclusive and welcoming whether you are a cocktail connoisseur or someone who just wants a really good lemonade.
• Unmistakably Oklahoma: this is not a franchise idea flown in from L.A. We are an Oklahoma-born company built for Oklahoma events. The scissortail is a symbol of home, and home is where we serve you.

The Colors

Our brand color, a warm salmon tone, comes straight from the scissor-tailed flycatcher's underwing. It is subtle, elegant, and warm. It is not the screaming red of a cardinal or the bold blue of a jay. It is something softer and more distinctive, like the bird itself.

Your Signature Drink

The Scissortail Sunset, our house signature mocktail, was designed to echo an Oklahoma sunset. It is bright with blood-orange citrus, balanced with honey, rounded by aromatic bitters, and finished with a sparkle of blood orange Italian soda, so the deep color glows like dusk over the plains. We bring it to every event as a zero-proof default, and it is the drink that turns skeptics into believers.

A guest who orders "the Scissortail Sunset" at your event does not need to know it is a mocktail. They just know they are holding something beautiful, refreshing, and distinctively ours.

Grounded in Oklahoma Hospitality

"The name is grounded in Oklahoma and the people here," says founder Patrick Wilson. "Anyone who visits says the same thing: the people here are warm and welcoming. The scissortail is our state bird, graceful and unmistakably Oklahoman, and that is the spirit we want behind every drink we pour."

That hospitality is not a marketing angle. It is how we work. At your Scissortail event, every cocktail has a mocktail variation, with tonic water, club soda, and ginger ale always on hand. For your guests under 21, we love setting up a separate area to serve mocktails, dirty sodas, and more from the same menu.

"We make them feel included by ensuring they can also have a fun, beautiful drink in their hand," Patrick says.

Our Promise to You

Scissortail Bartending exists because the beverage experience at your event should not depend on whether you drink alcohol. Everyone you invite deserves something craft-quality in hand. The bird that inspired our name never compromises on elegance, and neither do we.

As Patrick puts it: "It's not about the alcohol. It's all about the people."