Drip: Automated Bartending

01/ Challenge

Bars are slow. Students aren't patient.

Peak hours at student venues mean long queues, inconsistent pours, spillage, and overwhelmed staff. The client needed a machine that could handle high-volume drink service with speed, precision, and zero human error — something that didn't just assist a bartender, but replaced the need for one entirely.

02/ Idea

Don't automate the bar. Redesign it.

Rather than bolt automation onto an existing setup, we built Drip as a product from the ground up — hardware, software, UX, and payment, all designed together as a single system. The idea was a machine that could handle the full transaction: from order to pour to payment, without a person in the loop. Fast enough for a rush. Smart enough to run itself.

Drip Pumps - Prototyping

03 / Execution

Pumps, tubing, touchscreens, and a fully custom backend.

Drip was engineered entirely in-house. The machine combines multiple millilitre-accurate pumps, a network of food-grade tubing, and a touchscreen ordering interface — all controlled by a custom Python backend running on microcontroller integration. An integrated POS system handles payment and tracks every pour in real time, automatically generating sales data and stock reports. Dual-screen ad displays turn idle time into brand moments. The result: 8 drinks poured in under 60 seconds, with no spillage, no queues, and no guesswork.

04 / Results

A product category that didn't exist before Drip.

Drip proved that fully automated bartending wasn't a novelty — it was a viable, scalable product. Built for the UK student market, it demonstrated that speed, precision, and integrated payment could completely replace traditional shot service at high-volume venues.

Results

Numbers that speak volumes.