CES 2022: Make Me A Cocktail, Bev!

by | Jan 11, 2022 | Food and Drink, Lifestyle, Technology

Nothing better than a finely mixed cocktail, right?  Well actually there is…when you don’t have to tip the bartender.  Automatic cocktail making machines have been on the market for a few years. Similar to countertop, automatic coffeemakers (think Keurig), these kitchen gadgets offer up liquor-based drinks by popping in pre-mixed pods such as margaritas, old fashioneds, and mules.  Just add your favorite spirit to a pod, press Start, and add ice.

Black & Decker is getting into this game with its soon-to-be-released Bev machine.  Using pods from Bartesian it works on the same principal and allows up to five different liquors to be connected.  I like the fact that actual bottles can be used instead of transferring the liquid into machine specific bottles.  You can choose how strong you want your drink to be.  Bev measures the amount of liquor, mixes the drink and then dispenses it into the glass.  The process takes about 30 seconds for each drink.

Bev is expected to cost $300 when it hits the market in a few months but the real cost is in the pods.  Just like the razor blade industry (give away the razor and sell the blades), fa pack of six pods will cost $15.  It may be time to institute a cover charge in my home bar.

I got a firsthand look at Bev at a CES media event in Las Vegas and I was shaken, not stirred.