THE BAR CART OF THE FUTURE

A virtual cocktail assistant? You bet. The Bar Cart has arrived just in time for summer (aka the season of entertaining) - designed to simplify making cocktails at home featuring voice-activated technology. Fittingly, DIAGEO, the maker of spirits brands Smirnoff, Gordon's gin, and Johnnie Walker, are the leaders in this innovative creation. Seamlessly integrating the humble Amazon Alexa, this virtual sidekick is designed to take home entertaining to the next level.

So how does it work? The Bar Cart is an Alexa app programmed with a range of twelve cocktails, from simple and delicious, to a little more adventurous. Not only that, it links to Spotify, for pre-programmed playlists curated by popular Australian music artists paired to the drinks menu, just right for any occasion or mood! With voice-activated technology continuing to be on the rise, The Bar Cart is the first iteration of the interactive bar cart. Intended to alleviate the pressure of making drinks for guests at home, it will guide the 2.2 million Australians who admit to guessing at what they are doing when making a mixed drink at home through the creation process.

“We’re proud to have created a new and innovative way to help Australians entertain at home. We hope The Bar Cart experimental technology will make entertaining at home simple, easy and fun, and offer Aussies the opportunity to explore a world of new tastes and flavour combinations, upping their cocktail and mixed drink-making game!” says Diageo's Marketing & Innovation Director, Andrew Oughton

Even better - it's super easy to use! All you have to do to activate it is an Alexa account through which you can ask Alexa to ‘Open the Bar Cart’. The interactive skill then takes users through a menu to determine which spirits they have at home to use as the base for their drink, as well as provide inspiration and suggestions for those looking for a little creative assistance.