Attention, bartenders of the world. You've got some, er, stiff competition. Granted, it looks like any other plain kitchen appliance, but what we gave right here is the Somabar, an automatic cocktail maker controlled via smartphone. As the company states in its Kickstarter, "enjoying cocktails is easy, but making them is not."
Designed for those who don't know their bitters from their vermouth, the "robotic bartender" features a total of six Soma Pods that hold alcohol and mixers, three Soma Pods (long vials) on each side. Drinks are created on the smartphone app and the machine goes to work, mixing cocktails in a matter of seconds. The pods can be refrigerated, are dishwasher safe and portable.
When it's finished mixing, the completed drink pours out the spout, like a soda machine, and then the system washes itself out with water, so there's no lingering taste from the last drink. After seeing it in action on the show floor today, I can say that the thing is really as easy as pushing the button. With all pods fully loaded, the makers think the system will weigh about 30 pounds. It's expected to retail for $429.
As for the drink itself, I can't really speak to that. Apparently drinking on the job at 10 a.m. is frowned upon here. Crazy, right?
