We pit a robot cocktail maker against a real bartender
Science & Technology
We pit a robot cocktail maker against a real bartender
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Can I get a bourbon coke? Coming right up. So, I'm not much of a bartender myself, but hopefully, Barsys—the robot bartender—can fare better. That's what it's supposed to do: automatically make cocktails on demand. So, we brought it up to an actual cocktail bar to see how it compares against a real bartender.
Barsys costs just over a thousand dollars. You can fit it with five different alcohols along the top, then three mixers in two plastic containers on the side. It makes drinks pretty quickly, though it will sometimes splash and drip. You supply the glass and some ice and Barsys takes care of the rest, pouring out precise ingredients from its recipe database. The results are probably better than what I could do.
"Here's your bourbon and coke, sir."
But now, we're gonna give this thing a real test. We're gonna pit Barsys against an actual bartender. We're starting with something simple—a Boulevardier, which calls for rye whiskey, vermouth, and Campari. We also told our bartender Brian no garnishes, as Barsys can't add those on its own, and we're looking for an even blind taste test.
Blind Taste Test
- First Taste: "Hmm, okay."
- Second Taste: "Okay, well, I like this one because it tastes more complex. It's smoother, whereas this one was a little flatter, like a one-note kind of feel."
Barsys actually won that round, but it was very close, and there were some mitigating factors that Brian will talk through later.
Now, we're gonna unleash our bartender and put no restrictions—let him make the signature cocktail he wants to make and see if Barsys can keep up.
With the first test that we conducted, we were dealing with three ingredients in equal parts. You know, everybody's palate is going to be a little different, and I don't know that our judge had the best palate today.
So, we're gonna make a drink called a New York Sour, which Barsys doesn't have in its database. Fortunately, we can make a custom recipe using the app. The drink calls for sugar syrup, lemon juice, red wine, and bourbon. We'll put the ingredients here on the machine and on the app, we select to make a custom cocktail, and there we go. Take it away, Barsys!
However, something that's holding us back here is that we're limited to three mixers at a time, and these containers can leak.
Visual Comparison:
- "Wow, I mean, right away there's no contest. Look at the difference here: this one looks delicious and it's actually a full glass, as opposed to this one which looks like half a drink. I'd be upset if I got this at the bar."
Taste Comparison:
"I don't know. It tastes like half a drink. Very little sour and just kind of unimpressive."
"I'll try this one next. Yes, that's so much better. It's rich and smooth with many different flavors going on, probably because there are more ingredients. The garnish adds some smell when you get your nose in the glass—it's very good."
Bartender Brian: "You know, I'll tell you that I'm not worried about my job. It's very limited in what it can produce. It doesn't have a whole lot of options for multiple ingredients or different techniques. The person that's gonna buy this obviously has a lot of disposable income and loves cleaning up messes."
Barsys does a few things pretty well. You can search for recipes based on what you have or what you want to make and see what ingredients you'll need to buy. Unfortunately, the app crashes and freezes frequently. It's supposed to save the volume of each container, but more often than not, that information is lost.
Look, I get the appeal here, especially if you've got the money and want to save yourself some effort on party nights. But aside from the inherent limitations and the too-expensive price, both the machine and the app need another round or two of polish. Plus, this thing is over a thousand dollars, and you can do essentially the same thing with a shot glass for measuring and Google for recipes. Cheers!
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Keywords
- Robot Bartender
- Barsys
- Cocktail Maker
- Bourbon Coke
- Boulevardier
- Real Bartender
- Custom Recipe
- New York Sour
- App Issues
- Price
FAQ
Q: How much does Barsys cost? A: Barsys costs just over a thousand dollars.
Q: How many alcohols and mixers can Barsys hold? A: Barsys can be fitted with five different alcohols and has space for three mixers in two plastic containers on the side.
Q: Can Barsys make custom cocktails? A: Yes, Barsys can make custom cocktails using its app, allowing you to input your own recipes.
Q: Are there any issues with Barsys? A: Yes, the machine sometimes splashes and drips, and the app frequently crashes and freezes. Additionally, the containers can leak.
Q: Did Barsys outperform the real bartender? A: In the initial blind taste test with a simple Boulevardier, Barsys won, but with a more complex drink—the New York Sour—the real bartender clearly outperformed Barsys.
Q: Is Barsys worth the investment? A: While Barsys has its charms, given its high price and current limitations, you might be better off using a shot glass for measuring and Google for recipes.