Discussions surrounding Clemson’s lack of social environment for the under-21 crowd have persisted for some time now. Some members of the community feel that there needs to be more consideration for younger patrons, as 21 and older bars occupy much of the downtown real estate, leaving out non-drinkers and underage students alike.

However, this crowd will be pleased to know that Andee O’Sell, owner of Andee’s Custom Blended Ice Cream, formerly Spill the Beans, has answered these calls by building a new mocktail bar right next door to the beloved ice cream shop.

Andee’s SIPS & such, which opened just three weeks ago, is welcoming from the moment you step in the door. Mirrors, frames and paintings adorn the walls, which are painted a deep teal. The lighting is warm and ambient, creating an environment that’s both friendly and sophisticated.

Last week, The Tiger sat down with O’Sell to get the scoop on the inspiration behind the mocktail bar.

O’Sell said that her intention was to create a trendy, adult downtown environment for underage patrons who still want to hang out in a sophisticated space.

“Most of my staff are under 21, and most of our crowd next door falls into the under-21 (category),” O’Sell told The Tiger. With SIPS & such, she wanted to fill the “gap” between her ice cream shop’s young customer base and the 21 and older bars in downtown Clemson.

While O’Sell came up with the vision for the place, her family was a big help in making it come to life. She said that her parents enjoy house building and design, so they helped install the light fixtures and tile work.

O’Sell’s aunt contributed many of the frames and second-hand tables and chairs that make up the bar. “(SIPS & such) is basically my dining room at home,” she said. “This is the color on my walls.”

“It was a fun family initiative,” O’Sell told The Tiger, adding that SIPS & such is essentially her brainchild and that she wanted to make it more “adult” than the ice cream shop. She didn’t have the opportunity to make the ice cream shop her own, as she took over the business after it had been established for 10 years.

O’Sell said that business at SIPS & such has been hit-or-miss, and that most of it has come from the staff’s friends stopping by to say hi, plus one sorority event and a bridal shower. Much of the space’s purpose is private parties, including baby and bridal showers, birthday and engagement parties, student organizations’ proceeds nights and more.

SIPS & such’s menu is a testament to O’Sell’s family — both her blood relatives and the family she’s found at Clemson in her staff and customers. Half of the menu’s mocktails are Clemson-themed, including the Clemson Sunrise that consists of mango, raspberry and rock crystal candy; the Clemson Sunset that consists of Ginger Ale, lemon, orange, pineapple and candied orange; and the Game Day that includes Fanta, sparkles, vanilla and rock crystal candy.

The other menu items are tributes to O’Sell’s niece Riley, grandma Cheryl, mom Mary and dad Jim. The drink Riley’s Party is a play on Riley’s favorite ice cream flavor, cotton candy, and O’Sell’s dad came up with the Mai Tai-ger, which has almond, blue curacao, guava, lime, orange, passion fruit and peach rings.

O’Sell’s staff of college students has also played a large part in curating both drinks and events. She said that her staff keeps her on her toes. “I always joke that I get older, but they stay the same,” she told The Tiger. “I’m always like, ‘tell me what’s cool.’”

Her staff has helped O’Sell come up with a lot of SIPS & such’s upcoming events, including watch parties for “The Bachelor” and “Bridgerton,” a Galentine’s party and potential bingo or trivia nights. These events are intended to give the younger college population the opportunity to experience evenings similar to those at other downtown bars.

SIPS & such offers a service that allows private parties to request a custom mocktail menu. For example, O’Sell and her staff put together a “His and Hers” mocktail for the recent bridal shower that the bar hosted.

The mocktail bar’s current hours are every day of the week from 4-10 p.m. O’Sell said that, depending on how much business increases, the mocktail bar will likely extend its Thursday, Friday and Saturday hours to 11 p.m. or midnight.

“If you’re in that underage crowd and you want to go out, you kind of feel limited where you can go,” she said. “If we have sports on and we got some fun snacks and drinks and loud music, it kind of fills that void a little bit for a certain group.”