CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, March 06, 2019

Bulleit Bourbon Is Bringing 3D-Printed Cocktails National

Thrillist: When you think of 3D printing, you’re probably more inclined to think geeks and gizmos than chic cocktail bars. But, thanks to Bulleit Bourbon, artists and mixologists across the country are joining forces with 3D-printing innovators as part of their newest iteration of Frontier Works -- The Bulleit 3D Printed Frontier. Bulleit’s Frontier Works program highlights “the modern frontier” -- meaning people who are pushing the boundaries in their current craft

5 comments:

Mattox S. Reed said...

This is such an interesting use of 3D printing technology. I have yet to have seen anything like it before in all my research and knowledge of 3D printers the idea that you someone is able to print something inside of a liquid is mind boggling and is able to calculate and work through the different properties of the liquid to create something is so cool. I really understand Al’s point of this being a sort of gimmick at a bar for no real reason but it is still something so cool. I certainly would love to see the different applications for this kind of thing in other water elements see if there could be away to create some sort of rain system or set up in order “print an image or design in a some sort of other liquid or pool of water rather then just inside of a tiny shot glass.

Mirah K said...

This is really cool and impressive. It is crazy to me to be living in a time where people are creating such incredible products. While this is kind of an obnoxious thing to be spending time on—that is, creating a machine to 3D print drinks—I also think it is really amazing that this technology is so accessible and is not only being used in specifically scientific fields. I never would have expected someone to decide that the next step in alcohol would be to 3D print it but I think the idea is a lot of fun, and I hope all their new locations succeed. I would be interested to see what the next step would be; I noticed the article mentioned that, in order for the machine to work properly, the drinks would have to be semi-transparent and that the designs don’t stay in high alcohol content. I am excited to see how these scientists figure out how to perfect the design and figure out new innovative ways to serve drinks.

Cooper Nickels said...

I have been wondering when we would start to get into 3d printed foods. This is not exactly this, more like decorating foods with 3d technology, but it is pretty close. I think this is an interesting application, but honestly, I think the bar itself is a more impressive feat of 3d technology. To be able to assemble an entire building in three days, then strike it and move it to another city is really interesting. This could be applied theatrically so easily. In fact, is that not what we already do, just with different materials and processes? It would be so cool to see an entirely 3d printed set one day. I do not know what that would mean for my job opportunities in the future, but I am not too worried about it. Someone has to draw the file at least. Not to mention the people to build it.

Julian G. said...

Irrelevant side note: why can’t they just call it taste and texture rather than taste and mouthfeel. I understand what mouthfeel means, but it just sounds awkward. Overall, this seems like a really cool idea. My gut instinct wouldn’t want to pay extra for something like this, if I could get a normal drink or a drink with a 3D printed pattern for a slight upcharge, it would have to be a very small cost increase for me to consider springing for it. The being said, if I were choosing between a restaurant that has these 3D printed drinks and a restaurant that does not, and both of them have comparable food quality and prices, I think I’d likely choose the restaurant with the 3D printing for the novelty. It is definitely not a use of 3D printing I would expect. Even when I was reading the title for the article I didn’t have any idea of how 3D printing could be relevant to a drink. It’ll be interesting to see what other ways people find to use 3D printing technology.

Ari Cobb said...

I remember when I first learned about 3D printing being used with food I thought it was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen. Candy makers now had the ability to create incredibly complex or intricate shapes out of chocolate or sugar without needing a mold to do so, and the aesthetic of that is really neat. I think that the fact they were able to create shapes or images in cocktail drinks with this technology is also insanely cool, and how they figured out how to do it with different oils or mixtures is super interesting. I’m not one for drinking, but I’d definitely be compelled to buy one if they looked like these. 3D printing has come such a long way over the last few years, and it’s exciting to see where it’ll go next. Maybe someday entire meals will be able to be printed, who knows.