Diageo's In-Store Virtual Bartender

[Chris Amirault]

My go-to liquor store is I.M. Gan in Cranston RI, a nice enough store with a responsive owner (thanks to my prodding they've got Fee's in addition to Peychaud's and Angostura bitters in stock), nice deals on regular cocktail stock (Plymouth gin for $13/750 ml), and are just down the road from my house in Providence. Yesterday, when stopping by for some yellow Chartreuse, I spent fifteen minutes with the VirtualBartender, a new marketing program for Diageo, the folks who bring you Tanqueray, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Guinness, and Cuervo. I talked to management at the store, and it's basically a free end-cap display; no one pays anyone else for it. But this ain't your usual stack o' Captain Morgan 1.75 liter bottles.

Here's the description from Diageo's own marketing department transcript:

Virtual Bartender is an interactive touch screen kiosk, with full audio and high definition video presentation. It provides consumers with a resource for on-demand information about cocktail preparation, wine and beer selection, party planning, and responsible hosting.

And again, because of the breadth of our portfolio, we are in the unique position to offer a product that covers the total beverage alcohol space. It is also a very impactful way for us to showcase our premium brands and drive sales. For the consumer, what’s really great about this tool is that they can plan a party by inputting the number of guests, type of cocktails they wish to serve, and print a shopping list telling them how much of which Diageo products they need, the amount of ice to buy, and mixer quantities. Then they can shop the store for our products. If they’d like, consumers can also send cocktail and drink recipe information to anyone via built-in email capability.

I'd like to be cynical, I really would. For example, the online companion to the VB is thebar.com, hosted by the unctuous and fidgety "Jack Parker" who apparently has quite a happening virtual existence over "in top Second Life pubs." Avoid Jack unless you like watching an underpaid actor switch from foot to foot while "Austin Powers" music plays in the background.

In addition, the cocktail recipes seem tweaked for the consumer's sweet tooth. I got the kiosk to send me an email with their recipe for the Aviation ("an internet favorite!"): 1 1/2 gin, 3/4 maraschino, 1/2 lemon, and a twist. Don't want to overpower that cocktail with gin or anything.

But, I gotta say, it was pretty interesting to snoop through. Look at that recipe again: that's a classically sized drink, not a six ounce behemoth. I was pleasantly surprised also when the bartender cut and flamed a lemon peel in the video demonstration of the drink. Indeed, unlike Jack Parker, the (real?) bartenders who host the demonstrations had some pretty good technique overall. (I couldn't find a list of who they are, however, and my cocktailian bartender trading card set hasn't arrived in the mail yet.)

There's dreck in there, to be sure, and anyone who wants to shoot it down as too glossy or stupid will have plenty of ammunition. But I struck up a conversation with someone new to good cocktails about why the bartender had ice in the glass, and that snazzy flaming peel introduced him to citrus oils. That can't be a bad thing, can it?

Has anyone else seen these things around?

[jmfangio]

Haven't seen it, but if they're offering up decent recipes for classic cocktails, that certainly can't be a bad thing.

Unfortunately, some liquor companies aren't exactly helping the cause with their marketing. There's a Martini & Rossi ad with this recipe:

A Manhattan perhaps?  Simply shake one part Martini & Rossi Rosso vermouth and two parts Dewar's White Label blended Scotch whiskey with ice.  Pour over ice in a rocks glass with a cherry for garnish.  Sip, and enjoy.

That's just wrong on so many levels...

Edited September 21, 2007 by jmfangio (log)