It sounds pretty cool having a robot bartender to serve drinks to your guests. And more time to spend with your guests rather than working the bar yourself. Imagine the talking point it would create too.
You may be thinking that it is impossible to have a robot for your home bar. Well it isn’t, and there are plenty to choose from too.
However is it practical?
A Robot Bartender For Your Home Bar
The very basic robot could be practical, however I think it is nothing more than a vending machine. But the more advanced robots would demand a lot of space. However the real kicker is the cost, you will need very deep pockets if you want your own robot bartender.
That said, it is still worth looking at, if only for the fun of it. So lets meet some of these robot bartenders at see what they can do.
Cecilia Robot Bartender
So kicking off we have Cecilia who is described as an interactive robotic bartender. She’s funny too, not only will she talk to you. Cecilia will tell you a joke too, as well as deliver a little sarcasm or quip.
Just ask her for the cocktail of choice and she will get right to it and mix your drink. Apparently there are hundreds of cocktails she can mix. All of which were put together by actual mixologists.
Having said that, she can only deal with so many at one time. Yes it is basically a talking vending machine and the vending unit can only hold so many drinks vessels to dispense from.
But she is a fast worker and can deliver 120 drinks per hour. That is if you don’t keep her talking too long.
According to Miami New Times Cecilia will cost you $2300 per month to hire. But if you are feeling particularly flush then she will only cost a cool $60,000 to own.
That is one expensive vending machine.
Barsys Home Robot Bartender
So this robot bartender is intended for home use, and would fit right into any home bar. It can make a cool 2000 different cocktail recipes.
But again is restricted by the spirits and mixers you feed it. You can only load five spirits and three mixers into it. Which to be fair will give you a lot of cocktail combinations.
It works off of an app on your phone or tablet. Once you load the five spirits and three mixers, the app will give you the many cocktails it can make from those ingredients.
Place your glass on the left, pick the drink you want and Barsys will get to work. Your glass will travel from the left to the right picking up the right ingredients measured to perfection.
It is a cool bit of kit, but just a cocktail dispenser, and this one doesn’t even chat to you. But it is a little more reasonable on the pocket at £1227.00 at the time of writing.
The good thing is that it is pretty compact, so would fit in most home bars.
The Makr Shakr
Now lets get robot serious, introducing the Makr Shakr Robot Bartender. This is a huge bit of kit, so you will need a big home bar if you want this baby, as well as the deepest pockets in town.
These robots are already installed in some bars and also on some cruise ships, so its happening.
Apparently The Tipsy Robot in Las Vegas paid a million dollars for this kit. However that was a while ago and Makr Shakr released a slightly cheaper version which is still six figures.
To get your drink from the robot you need to use the Makr Shakr app. Once on the app you can look through the menu and choose your drink, or make up your own.
Click order and it is sent to the robot which then gets to work making your drink. When your drink is ready it notifies you via the app.
The robot uses optics above of which there are over a hundred to collect the right amount of shots for your drink.
A pretty efficient robot, that doesn’t need to take a break.
There are of course other robot bartenders, but a robot is a robot.
Final Thoughts
So will the machines takeover?
Well lets hope not, give me a human bartender every time. The first couple of robot bartenders I featured to me are just fancy vendor machines or drink dispenser.
Yes the Cecilia will have a chat and give you a bit of lip, but it is still just a drinks dispencer.
The Makr Shakr on the other hand looks like a proper robot, and it is. Very efficient and pretty fast too. But it is always going to need human back up.
Neither the vending machines nor the robot can unload the truck that turns up with all those bottles of spirits. They can’t replenish the stock when it runs out either.
Although there is probably a different robot for those jobs, the machines really are taking over.
So would you get a robot bartender for your home bar?
Share your thoughts below about these futuristic mechanicals and whether you would let them run your home bar.
Rob is a passionate home bar and pub shed enthusiast with a passion for craft beer. With hands-on experience in designing and building his own home bar, Rob shares his knowledge, tips, and inspiration to help fellow enthusiasts create their own perfect space. Alongside the world of home bars and pub sheds, Rob also explores the diverse and exciting realm of craft beer, providing honest reviews to help you discover your next favorite brew. Join Rob on a journey of flavor, design, and craftsmanship right here on Home Bar Kit.