A few months ago, we stumbled across Bartendro, which promised/threatened to end bartending as we know it. Though the device looked a little sketchy — like a trailer park meth lab fueled by booze — the concept was there. We knew it was just a matter of time before someone took the basic idea and spruced it up.
And behold, someone has:
On the upside, “Monsieur” is probably a better name than “Bartendro”, which is a little campy for most tastes.
On the downside…well, look, we understand that sometimes you just want a quick drink, without all the muss and fuss. We get it. Really. But Monsieur is missing two key ingredients found in truly exceptional cocktails:
1. Freshness. There’s no telling how long some of Monsieur’s ingredients sit in its dark little confines. You know what a container of OJ looks like after a week in your fridge? You wanna make a cocktail with that?
2. Creativity. Sure, a by-the-book Pimm’s Cup can be refreshing. But sometimes, we have a hankering for something different, or we want to improve on a time-honored classic. What if we have a hankering for fresh ginger in that Pimm’s Cup? What if we want to send our Madras down South with apricot nectar instead of OJ? Monsieur can’t cut the mustard.
This gadget — or ones very much like it — will probably be a hit in places like Las Vegas, full of high-end hotels needing high-tech ways to serve thirsty guests and boost profit. But hopefully, there will remain a place for craft cocktails and creative bartenders for many years to come.
Or at least until our livers give out.
The League of Spirited Tipplers 