This Cocktail Machine Is Like Having An At-Home Bartender

When it comes to making cocktails at home, I like to keep things as simple as possible. I'm not a mixologist, I don't want to throw down cash on elderflower liqueur that I'll probably use once, and I am staunchly anti-bar cart. So when a colleague told me about a Kickstarter campaign for a machine that acts like a Keurig for cocktails instead of coffee, I was immediately intrigued. Bartesian is a completely genius invention that mixes a variety of cocktails using rum, gin, vodka, and tequila (which are preloaded into the machine) and different flavor pods. The machine recognizes the different pods and adjusts the alcohol amount and variety accordingly. So far, options include Sex on the Beach, Cosmopolitan Margarita, Bartesian Breeze, Uptown Rocks, and Zest Martini, but the creators are planning more drink choices if the Kickstarter succeeds. Currently, Bartesian has raised $34,715 of its $100,000 goal, and backers can snag a cocktail pod machine for $299. While the ease of making a cocktail by simply putting a pod into a handy gadget is definitely appealing, $400 is a lot to spend for cocktail convenience. Especially when you still have to buy new pods and stock the machine with alcohol. But the thought of being able to "whip up" a fancy-sounding drink at a moment's notice makes us want to save up for Bartesian anyway.