Mixing a good cocktail is an exercise in both art and science, and if you could use a little help with the science part of it, there’s a new gizmo up on Kickstarter that you should definitely check out.
The B4RM4N, as it’s called, is a sensor-studded three-piece cocktail shaker that aims to streamline the process of mixing drinks. Under the hood, it’s equipped with a high-precision weight sensor, a set of accelerometers, and a Bluetooth radio that allows it to relay data to your smartphone. With the help of an accompanying smartphone app, the shaker can tap into a drink database to fetch recipes, and then guide you through the mixing procedure step by step.
Once you’ve connected the B4RM4N to your phone, you simply fire up the app and select the cocktail you’d like to make. As you pour booze into the shaker, the onboard weight sensor will determine in real time how much you’ve poured, and let you know when to stop with a colored LED indicator light. No messing with jiggers or other measuring gear; the B4RM4N takes care of all that for you.
Now in all fairness, this definitely isn’t the first app-enabled drink-mixing aid we’ve ever encountered. Dozens of people have taken a stab at the same idea, but as far as we can tell, the B4RM4N is the first device of its kind that incorporates all the weighing and sensing tech directly into a mixing vessel. It’s also got built-in accelerometers that can tell you when to stop shaking — a feature you definitely won’t find in a standalone mixing scale.
Related: Barobot is the hackable automated bartender you never have to tip
B4RM4N’s creators are hoping to raise $100K through Kickstater to help jumpstart production of the device, and if you back the project now during the early stages, you can nab yourself a B4RM4N for anywhere from $89 to $159. Find out more here.
