Bartesian sells cocktail machines that work much like capsule coffee makers, combining pre-mixed flavor pods with spirits supplied by the user. Its $299.99 Bartesian Duet can prepare more than 60 cocktails with the push of a button, although its price, size, and ongoing capsule costs make it most suitable for people who regularly entertain at home.
The Bartesian Duet holds two spirits at a time and scans a barcode on each capsule to determine which liquor to dispense. Users can choose between mocktail, light, regular, and strong settings before the machine mixes the drink in 30 seconds or less.
Bartesian capsules contain juices, bitters, extracts, and other ingredients, but no alcohol. That means cocktails that traditionally use several different liqueurs rely on non-alcoholic approximations inside the capsule, while drinks with simpler recipes can remain closer to their conventional versions.
Convenience Comes With Some Compromises
Testing found the Duet straightforward to operate and useful when preparing several different cocktails for a group. Capsules cover drinks including espresso martinis, mai tais, cosmopolitans, margaritas, gimlets, and lemon drops.
Taste can vary by drink, however. Some cocktails can have a more processed flavor than drinks prepared manually with fresh ingredients and individual liqueurs, while simpler options such as a vodka-based lemon drop can better match their conventional counterparts.
Capsules also add an ongoing expense beyond the $299.99 machine. Bartesian sells its mixes separately, and pricing varies by cocktail and pack size.
The machine itself also requires considerable counter space. Bartesian lists the Duet at 12 by 12.75 by 9.5 inches, making it relatively compact within the company’s range but still substantial for an appliance that may only be used occasionally.
Best Suited to Frequent Hosts
The Duet makes the most practical sense for people who entertain regularly and want to offer several cocktails without maintaining a large collection of mixers, syrups, and specialty liqueurs. It can prepare different drinks with little setup, while users still choose their preferred spirit brands.
It is less compelling for people who already enjoy making cocktails from scratch or who have limited kitchen space. Those users may prefer the control of measuring fresh ingredients themselves rather than relying on concentrated capsules.
Bartesian positions the Duet as its smaller two-spirit option, while its larger models accommodate more liquor bottles. The company says all of its machines are designed around the same capsule system, with the user supplying the alcohol separately.
Featured image credits: Pickpik
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