Monsieur's Android-Powered Bartender: Get Your Drink On

How Monsieur Works: The Software View

The Monsieur is a modern-day machine, able to constantly make use of Web-based information, not just mechanically pour drinks like some made-for-TV robot. For instance, the consumer version comes with 12 different theme packages, like Cigars, Sports, Tiki Bar, Girls Night Out (as if). The team has yet to create the "my wife left me" theme.

The software tells you what ingredients you need and what positions to put them in to make use of the corresponding theme. Givens says Monsieur even has relationships with various retailers, like BevMo, where you can set up an account and have the ingredients delivered to your home.

The Monsieur display describes each drink, with a picture, and provides the beverage's history. The software team built an algorithm that lets you set the strength of the drink, from light to BOSS, moving in 10% increments. Of course, you can make virgin drinks as well.

Purportedly, the software learns your tastes, the drinks you like, and the time of day you drink. It makes recommendations. There's a filter screen that lets you scroll through ingredients and taste desires (vodka, rum; tart, citrus) to find a drink that matches. You can also let the system simply surprise you, say if you're vision is too blurred to make a coherent choice on your own.

A mobile app (iPhone or Android) lets you order from your phone. This is something that you might want to do, say, on the ride home from work or at a party. Doing so puts your order in a queue, and you can pick up your drink when you're damn well ready for it. The mobile app includes all of the features of the Monsieur system, with full cocktail lists, descriptions, recommendations, and filters.

But Monsieur also has a drinking responsibility feature. Here, you choose your gender and your weight, and as you order drinks it tracks your consumption, including the alcohol level of your drinks, and lets you know your likely blood-alcohol level. From there, it provides direct links to Uber, or to taxis. I suggested putting a breathalyzer right on Monsieur, but Givens and Judge just laughed nervously.

You can also share the fact that you're drinking something on a social network, right from the app, and establishments that use Monsieur can even structure the social share around their business ("Downing Sex At The Beach @TomsBar")

Fritz Nelson
Fritz Nelson is Editor-at-Large of Tom's Hardware US.
  • itzsnypah
    I originally clicked this thinking "the energy drink company is making bartending equipment?!?". Then I read that this Monsieur isn't the one I'm thinking of and I went "I wonder how long until they get sued out of the Monsieur name".
    Reply
  • ZolaIII
    One Cappuccino late & they can't get low sued for the name it's common word.
    The dream come true, computer that can hold & serve you cafe... ideal thing for those that thought that optical drive is a drink holder. :)
    Reply
  • Durandul
    I like how the app lists your state's BAC limit, just in case you are too drunk to remember.
    Reply
  • vinnywong
    Good luck with that.
    Reply
  • 4745454b
    IDK. I can see business's having this. But part of the fun of the house get togethers is making the drinks. It really seems to me it would take away one of the more fun things that happens when I have drinking company over. (though at least I won't wake up the next morning finding margarita mix spilled all over my floor.)
    Reply
  • priority1
    I'm wondering how this machine (when it goes to sports venues etc.) is going to verify that people are aged 21 and up. Maybe a drivers license card scanner?
    Reply
  • Michael Robinson
    I think it needs to be mobile - preferably on a mono wheel (ie claptrap in Borderlands 2). I I'm not sure I'd have the energy to get to the machine or the coherence to use it. It might suit my office but I'm not sure how well it would go down at Google.
    Reply