Put a microchip mixologist in your home with up to five bottles of liquor and the miracle of Bartesian cocktail capsules
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Black + Decker)
(Image credit: Black + Decker)
Over in Las Vegas,CESis now finito, so what better time for a well-earned drink? This was perhaps my favourite gadget of the entire show. It’s a booze-related product that you would probably be most likely to buy when drunk and it’s called Bev. Yes, really. You can just imagine flicking throughAmazonone night after a few Old Fashioneds too many, finding this and saying, ‘Wow, it’s a sort of Nespresso/Keurig pod coffee machine… but forbooze! And it’s got a light-up party mode!’
How can this modern miracle work? The answer is Bartesian capsules. While you provide the bottled liquor, and Bev mixes everything together, the compact Bartesian pods tell the machine which boozes to mix and in what proportion, and then adds juices, bitters and the like, providing the finishing flavour touch to your cocktail. You can then add small umbrellas, sparklers, straws and so forth.
You can also customise your cocktail strength, although presumably not all that much, as the Bartesian pods contain only a small, set amount of mixers.
Side and rear views of Bev, which even looks slightly drunk in this wonky image(Image credit: Black + Decker)
Side and rear views of Bev, which even looks slightly drunk in this wonky image
Side and rear views of Bev, which even looks slightly drunk in this wonky image
(Image credit: Black + Decker)
This entire concept was completely new to me, but it turns out Bartesian capsules –and one compatible machine– have been around for a while. For a time there was even a similar, rival device from Keurig, known as the Drinkworks Home Bar Pro – which is frankly a better name. Alas, in December, Keurig ‘made the difficult decision’ to stop selling it. You know how sometimes you have awesome ideas when you’re drunk, but then you wake up with a sore head and realise they weren’t such great ideas after all?
Black and Decker will be hoping for greater success and longevity with Bev, which even sounds like a British soap opera character who works as a barmaid. It says, ‘Whether you’re unwinding on the couch after a long day of work, hosting an intimate dinner party or throwing a blowout backyard BBQ, Bev lets you mix up any occasion with personalised cocktails at the touch of a button. Now, every drink enthusiast can feel like they have their own personal bartender at home,’ and not just because they’ve had so much to drink that they’ve begun to hallucinate!
The most practical feature here is the ‘easy load liquor system’, which can sup from five standard 750ml bottles of your favourite alcohol, although Black and Decker is at pains to point out that ‘Liquor is not included.’ However, clearly the best feature is the LED lighting system set into Bev’s base. This serves two purposes. First, it uplights your bottles, ‘for a premium look on your countertop or bar cart.’ Then there’s ‘Party Mode’ where the bottles are lit up in sequence, like a kind of booze discothéque. This, Black and Decker says, ‘adds a unique fun factor.’ Ho boy, I bet it does… and I can’t wait to try it!
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Bartesian does an absolutely massive selection of cocktail pods, with everything from a highly-rated Old Fashioned to a low-calorie Margherita. There are also variety packs called things like ‘Poolside Vibes’ and you have the option of subscribing to a monthly delivery of new and old favourites. In December, for instance, there was a festive-themed variety pack featuring the likes of Yuletide Hurricane and Mistletoe Margarita – now that’s thetruespirit of Christmas.
Finally, if you are a reader from outside the US, and wondering why on earth Black and Decker is making Bev… The brand actually already makes a number of small kitchen appliances for the American market, as well as the drills and angle grinders it is better known for in the rest of the world. It’s not just done it as a drunken bet, honestly.
TOPICSCES
TOPICS
Vollebak pushes the limits of outerwear with Double Graphene Puffer and Shielding SuitThe company continues to weave innovation into every thread
The company continues to weave innovation into every thread
Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 review: sensational sound, ordinary ANCBowers & Wilkins' step-down true wireless earbuds sound amazing and are well-priced – so what’s the catch, if anything?
Bowers & Wilkins' step-down true wireless earbuds sound amazing and are well-priced – so what’s the catch, if anything?
SwitchBot launches world’s first multitasking household robot – here are 5 features I didn’t expectWhat exactly is a multitasking household robot, you might ask?
What exactly is a multitasking household robot, you might ask?
Research shows your should test your home for radon every 2 years – this tiny smart device will help you do itRadon detection can save lives
Radon detection can save lives
Ecobee launches entry-level smart thermostat – and it’s a lot cheaper than you’d thinkI was pleasantly surprised…
I was pleasantly surprised…
Are headbands the new sleep technology trend?
TCL’s new smart lock uses AI to read your palm for safer unlockingTCL debuts two smart locks at CES, with palm recognition and camera features
TCL debuts two smart locks at CES, with palm recognition and camera features
Swann expands its security camera line-up with solar power and AI voice assistantsSwann’s MaxRanger4K Camera collection is getting bigger
Swann’s MaxRanger4K Camera collection is getting bigger
Honeywell launches first Matter-enabled smart thermostat – and it’s surprisingly affordableHoneywell Home debuts its X2S smart thermostat at CES 2025
Honeywell Home debuts its X2S smart thermostat at CES 2025
You could be watching 4K HDR movies on future flightsAnd you’ll be able to listen to them on your personal Bluetooth headphones
And you’ll be able to listen to them on your personal Bluetooth headphones
