An honest, unbiased review of the Bartesian cocktail machine, pros/cons to consider, if it’s worth the money, and top rated drink flavors.
It has been a little over four months since Robert bought our Bartesian cocktail machine for me as a Christmas present, and ever since then I have put it through the ringer!
Well, maybe not through the ringer. I mean I’m not throwing back a margarita everyday, but we have definitely used this Keurig-meets-robot-bartender quite a bit.
This Bartesian review is totally not sponsored, totally not biased, and totally not sugar-coated (not that I do that anyway for the sponsored posts I do write). I didn’t mention when I got this cocktail maker because I really wanted to be fully confident in it before I shouted how much I liked it from the rooftops.
All in all – the Bartesian totally lives up to the hype!
There are some pros and cons though, so hang tight for a sec.
What is the Bartesian Cocktail Maker?
Think of it as an intelligent Keurig that makes premium cocktails at the push of a button.
- Choose a capsule (pod) in the cocktail flavor of your choice
- Insert a capsule in the the machine
- Place a glass with ice on the bar top (the machine will tell you what size glass you need)
- Choose your preferred strength (from mocktail to strong)
- The machine reads a barcode on top of the pod to know exactly what spirit to add and crafts a delicious cocktail in seconds.
Bartesian Machine Types
The Bartesian cocktail machine comes in 3 different sizes – Bartesian Duet (with 2 bottles to hold 2 types of spirits) | Bartesian Premium (with 4 bottles to hold 4 types of spirits) | Bartesian Professional (with 5 bottles to hold 5 types of spirits)
We own the Bartesian Premium (priced at $369 at the time of this post) to have a variety of flavor options available for guests. I mostly only like vodka and rum based cocktails, so a Duet (for $224.49) would absolutely have sufficed for me, personally, if I didn’t consider hosting guests.
Are Bartesian Pods Expensive?
So to address the question… Is Bartesian worth the price?
Price Per Cocktail
Bartesian capsules are $19.99 for 8 cocktails or $71.99 for 32 cocktails. It breaks down to as little as $2.25 per cocktail + the price of your spirit choice to add to the bottles.
Most cocktails in our area (Charlotte) cost $15-20 on average, so it’s definitely cheaper than a restaurant/bar drink for restaurant/bar quality.
How Capsules Reduce Waste
Plus, I don’t have to purchase any mixers to stock at home that end up wasted after a party or worry about storing bottles of mixers. All of the capsule pods are recyclable.
Capsules last 2-8 months (expiration dates are printed on each one), so we have all we need to last through the summer for cookouts or the holiday season for gatherings.
Time Saver and Stress Reducer
When hosting family and friends for gatherings or if we want a yummy drink on a date-night-in, it is the perfect setup to make every evening stress-free so we don’t have to worry about clean-up, stocking mixers, or juggling ingredients while multitasking to socialize with guests.
I even hauled it with me to a women’s retreat to host 16 blogger friends at an Airbnb, and it was absolutely a hit!
It was a relief not having to be the bartender of the evening because everyone could just walk right over to the cocktail machine’s capsule holder to choose their favorite drink from a wide variety of flavors.
Its ease of use, price per cocktail, and quality all make the Bartesian absolutely worth having a machine for the home.
Do Bartesian Cocktails Taste good?
I met Robert back when I was a bartender/waitress, and I am a total cocktail snob. I was skeptical before using it for the first time, but the Bartesian cocktails really are restaurant quality.
As of now, there are just over 50 Bartesian cocktail pod varieties on the market, and they continually release new flavors sold separately, especially around the holidays.
The cocktails can be limited though if you prefer a fizzy or frozen cocktail.
When using the Bartesian capsules, the machine makes the concentrated cocktail mixers in the pods with water and spirits. You can make drinks fizzy yourself by choosing “strong” on the Bartesian setting, letting the machine pour through the entire cycle, and adding soda to the glass yourself to dilute the cocktail to regular strength.
From my own personal preference, the best Bartesian cocktails so far are Lemon Drop, Rum Breeze, Northside, Ginger Peach Iced Tea, Espresso Martini, and Mango Margarita.
Pros
- High quality cocktails
- Holds two, four, or five glass spirit reservoir bottles
- Customize your drink’s strength (mocktail, light, regular, or strong)
- Touchscreen makes drink making easy and interactive
- Includes a drip tray mat
- Liquor storage bottles and drip tray mat are dishwasher safe
- Simple to clean and assemble
- Variety of cocktail flavors available
- LED light during pour makes each drink feel like an experience
- Fun to play with new drink flavors in cocktail capsule variety packs
- Includes bottle lock with key
- Self-cleaning feature after every drink is made so flavors don’t mix together
Cons
- Pricey – It’s still on the pricey side and a luxury to have but worth it if you host frequently
- Tricky Lid – Sometimes the capsule gets stuck in the lid for a few seconds and I have to work a little harder to pop it out. I’ve experienced a couple of leaking capsules because I pressed the lid too hard on them. It’s hardly an issue though once you get used to loading it.
- Sometimes Glitchy – After hosting a large gathering, the machine sometimes won’t respond for a few minutes after it has made many drinks consecutively. Again, not a dealbreaker. But it’s worth noting.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can fill the cocktail maker with your favorite brands of vodka, rum, gin, tequila, and whiskey. The glass reservoir bottles are categorically labeled on the machine for the correct placement so the machine can make the drinks set to what type you use.
No, the machine does not pour shots, only alcohol dispensed into mixed drinks using a barcode on top of a capsule to assess how much of each spirit to dispense from the glass bottles.
Yes, you can leave bottles filled with spirits because the bottles are airtight, preventing alcohol from leaking or evaporating. As bottles empty, you can just clean them in the dishwasher and refill. Be sure to clean the water reservoir regularly.
All in all, we have zero regrets buying the Bartesian machine.
We’ve been so impressed with it these past 4 months and look forward to hosting backyard cookouts and pool parties in the months and years ahead where I can retire as the “designated bartender”.
Now I can just relax during our gatherings as I’d like while a robot plays bartender instead.
It makes a really fun gift for anybody who entertains in their home, even if the gift is just for yourself.
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