Monsieur robotic bartender pours libations at home for $1,499 (hands-on)
A night out at the local watering hole can be a pain sometimes, having to elbow your way through crowds and struggle to catch the bartender's eye, all for a tasty beverage. If only we could leave all the hard work to a machine. Fortunately, Monsieur, the "robotic bartender" that we first met at TechCrunch Distrupt a few weeks ago, is back to deliver a Jetsonian experience to those who thirst for more than tech. It's certainly not the first of its kind, but the delivery method employed here is of a subtler sort, downplaying the anthropomorphic angle and hiding away the mechanism inside a streamlined casing. The home-bound version is significantly more compact (and less expensive) than the enterprise edition seen above, and it should be making its way to consumers soon. Grab a glass and join us after the break to see what's in store.
We checked out the eight-container model, which retails for $2,699, but you'll soon be able to nab a four-container consumer version for $1,499. Ingredients are stowed in 1.5-liter bottles behind a removable panel at the rear of the machine and quick-connect hoses link up to the pump mechanism inside. The attachments can accommodate 750ml store-bought bottles, too, if that's your preference. Refrigeration doesn't come standard here, but it's an available option if you want to keep your OJ and other perishables fresh. A removable power cord attaches to the rear of the machine, but there's also a rechargeable battery, which we're told should last about six hours, so wire-free mobility is a bonus. The dispenser compartment sits along the bottom of the front panel, with cup sensors off to the left side of the tray so you don't accidentally pour one out for the homies.
Front and center you'll find a cutout that holds a Nexus 10 tablet and serves as the main interface running the Monsieur app. (The four-bottle version excludes a tablet, but a smartphone app duplicates all functionality.) It's pre-loaded with drink profiles like Tiki Bar, Mardi Gras and Irish Pub (each can make between 10 and 25 drinks, depending on the number of bottles installed), and lets you adjust the mix of ingredients on the fly or in your profile settings. Dispensing can also be timed for specific ingredients, for instance, letting you float grenadine on top for a Tequila Sunrise. There are even more smart features baked in, including one that lets you schedule a cocktail to appear just as your favorite TV show begins. If you have an extra long day, the robotic bartender can automatically make you a double as you walk through the door, based on your late arrival. And for those wild nights, the app can also estimate your blood alcohol content based on the drink count. It'll even call you a cab via integrated apps like Uber.
And the fun doesn't stop there. The partner app for iOS and Android lets you connect directly to any Monsieur machine to place drink orders remotely, as long as you have the machine ID. An Event feature lets multiple users send in their drink orders, which go into a queue to be dispensed in the order that they arrived. Party goers can also browse the drink list while waiting to use the tablet interface, cutting down on wait time for the perennially undecided. There's also a "surprise me" mode if making a decision just isn't your thing.
As for keeping ingredients topped up, the app will track stock levels and alert you when you're running low on supplies. If you're in New York, Miami, Los Angeles or San Francisco, there's a feature that can automatically send a restock order to select vendors -- refills appear at your doorstep so you can swap them right in. There's even an on-board cleaning mode, which runs hot water through the machine to force out unpleasantries, such as OJ pulp. Feeling thirsty yet? Well, you can head on over to the Kickstarter page to find out more about the founders, the technology and how you can help get the party started.
Zach Honig contributed to this report.
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Monsieur Creates World's First Personal Robotic Bartender to Take With You Everywhere
Artificially Intelligent Robotic Bartender and Smart App Reinvent the Social Drinking Experience at the Touch of a Button
ATLANTA, GA (October 1, 2013) – Monsieur, the company that has developed the world's first artificially intelligent robotic bartender, today announced the launch of a new in-home product – Monsieur for Home, which expertly crafts everyone's favorite cocktails and spirits, made to their exact specifications. Monsieur incorporates sleek hardware and a companion smart application for iOS and Android devices, making drinks that are precisely tailored to meet the most discerning tastes, all at the touch of a button.
"Enjoying cocktails and spirits is a fundamental component of social life for many Americans, but the overall social drinking experience has not been innovated in centuries," said Barry Givens, CEO and co-founder, Monsieur. "The goal of Monsieur is to redefine the social drinking experience by using smart technology to create a personal bartender, assistant and mixologist for everyone – providing an unmatched cocktail experience, anywhere you might be. We've also built in features to encourage responsible drinking by monitoring consumption, estimating blood alcohol levels and even helping users order a cab."The Monsieur mobile app puts a personal bartender right in the palm of your hand no matter where you are. By seamlessly integrating with home automation systems such as SmartThings via WiFi, Zigbee, Z-Wave or Bluetooth, Monsieur harnesses intelligence to become your very own personal butler. For example, if a person's favorite sports team wins the big game, Monsieur can offer a celebratory drink. Watching your favorite TV show? Monsieur can recommend the perfect cocktail for that exact moment. It can even detect when you have a date over and offer to make him or her a cocktail too.
Discover New Cocktails From Around the Globe
While the average person is familiar only with a handful of drinks and can make only half that number, Monsieur possesses a vast knowledge of cocktails and can introduce people to thousands of new drinks from around the globe, with no wait or clean-up involved. Monsieur will even crowd source new cocktail recipes from users, and allow them to share these new discoveries with friends. By utilizing Monsieur's themed packages featuring custom cocktail lists, people can transform their next home party into any environment such as a trendy nightclub in London or Tiki Bar in Hawaii. Monsieur will help people be able to get out of lines and from behind the bar so they can enjoy their social drinking experience to the fullest in a responsible way.
Monsieur Highlights:
• Two models starting at $1499 – 4 or 8 liquid container capacity. Each container holds 30oz of any of your favorite spirits, mixers, juices, liqueurs or even wines.
• Pre-loaded with 12 theme packages, ranging from Tiki Bar to Irish Pub, each with a cocktail list of over 25 drinks – providing immediate access to a library of over 300 drinks.
• Mobile app responsibly monitors your drink consumption, estimates your blood alcohol level and can help you get a cab after too much fun.
• Smart butler and home automation functions sense when you come home and offers a cocktail and sense when friends are over and makes theirs favorite drinks
• Ingredient-level sensing – Monsieur alerts you when ingredients are low and sends you a shopping list, via SMS or email, with what items you need to buy. Monsieur can also automatically order a liquor delivery to your home when it is running low.
Personalized Touch - Drinks Made To Your Exact Specifications
Monsieur learns your drink preferences and when you want them, providing a human-like touch allowing for new creations and personalized cocktails made to an individual's specific preferences. Whether someone prefers their drink to be strong or sweet, Monsieur studies a person's past drink orders to recommend and prepare the ideal cocktail based on your own personalized taste.
"Imagine you are leaving work, or you are already at home, and you want to sip on your favorite cocktail. Monsieur allows you to order your drink from anywhere directly through the mobile app and have your favorite drink waiting for you. Monsieur detects when you've had a long day at work and offers you a double strength drink instead of a single and has it waiting for you exactly when you want it," continued Givens.
In addition to use at home, Monsieur is available at public places where Monsieur Hardware is utilized including, bars, night clubs, sports arenas, hotels, etc. By allowing people to skip lines, they are able to spend more time socializing with friends while having a high-quality, consistent drink experience made to their exact specifications – each and every time.
Monsieur for Home is launching on Kickstarter and is available for purchase: http://monsieur.co/kickstarter
For further details on Monsieur for Home, check out: www.monsieur.co and follow us on Twitter @getMonsieur.
