Man VS Machine: Testing the Limits of AI-Generated Mixology

Unless you’ve been stuck on an island without any signal (like Tom Hanks and his friend Wilson the Volleyball in Cast Away), you’ll definitely have heard about ChatGPT by now. And for those of you who haven’t, here’s a quick explanation of what it is, written for you by ChatGPT itself!  

“ChatGPT is an AI language model developed by OpenAI that uses deep learning algorithms to generate human-like text responses. It is trained on a massive dataset of texts, allowing it to respond to questions, engage in conversations, write stories, and perform other language-related tasks.” 

The Mixer team’s been having a lot of fun playing with ChatGPT. Our mission? To see if it can create unique cocktails based on names we made up, and if it can give a rationale behind the ingredients it chose. Well, it turns out it can! (Enter eerie futuristic-type music, here.) 

All in all, the results were nothing short of astonishing, and ChatGPT delivered on all our prompts. But it did leave us with one burning question. How will these AI cocktails actually taste?  

To find out, we checked in with expert mixologist and Mixer friend Tris Lilburne-Fini and shared 5 AI-generated cocktail recipes with him. He mixed them together, tasted, rated, (and sometimes hated) them. Check out the video below.

(0:38 – The Bitter Betty, 3:45 – The Purple Cat, 6:21 – The Energetic Gardener, 9:05 – The Flapdoodle, 11:55 – The Tiddely Pom)

1. The Bitter Betty

ChatGPT: “The Bitter Betty ingredients were chosen to create a drink that reflects the bitter personality of the “Bitter Betty.” The hot sauce adds an extra kick of heat. This cocktail is definitely not for the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy bold and adventurous flavors, it could be a memorable experience.” 

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz Gin 
• 1 oz Italian amaro  
• 1/2 oz Pickle juice 
• 2 dashes Hot sauce 
• Salt and pepper, for rimming 
• Pickle spear, for garnish 

Method: 

1. Rim a glass with salt and pepper. 
2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, amaro, pickle juice, and hot sauce. 
3. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients. 
4. Strain the cocktail into the salt and pepper-rimmed glass filled with ice. 
5. Garnish with a pickle spear and serve. 

Tris: “That was not fun. While it’s got the makings of a good cocktail, it doesn’t have a lot of balance in there. It’s very sharp and the hot sauce doesn’t do much for it. You could make this into a very nice drink with a few tweaks, but as it is, straight from ChatGPT, it gets a ‘would not drink again’ from me.”

2: The Purple Cat

ChatGPT: “The Purple Cat is a fruity and sweet cocktail that combines the crisp and light flavors of white rum with the bold and tart flavors of blueberry juice and lime juice. The honey syrup adds an extra layer of sweetness and depth, while the crème de cassis float on top of the cocktail adds a deep purple color and a sweet and fruity finish. The fresh blueberries garnish adds a pop of color and a delicious fruity bite to the cocktail. This cocktail is perfect for a summer party or a fun night out.”

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz White rum 
• 1 oz Blueberry juice 
• 1/2 oz Lime juice 
• 1/2 oz Honey syrup (1:1 honey and water) 
• 1/4 oz Crème de cassis 
• Fresh blueberries, for garnish 

Method:

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the white rum, blueberry juice, lime juice, and honey syrup. 
2. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients. 
3. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass filled with ice. 
4. Float the crème de cassis on top of the cocktail. 
5. Garnish with fresh blueberries and serve. 

Tris: “It smells good and fresh. It’s bright and balanced, but possibly a little too tart. The fresh blueberries and blueberry juice adds a lovely depth and intensity.”

3. The Energetic Gardener

ChatGPT: “The Energetic Gardener is a refreshing and earthy cocktail that combines the fresh flavors of cucumber, celery, and lime with the botanical notes of gin and the sweetness of honey. The thyme adds an herbal complexity that complements the other flavors in the drink. This cocktail is perfect for a warm summer day or as a light and refreshing after-work drink.”

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz Gin 
• 1 oz Fresh cucumber juice 
• 1 oz Fresh celery juice 
• 1/2 oz Fresh lime juice 
• 1/2 oz Honey syrup (1:1 honey and water) 
• 1 Sprig of fresh thyme 
• Cucumber slice, for garnish 

Method: 

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, cucumber juice, celery juice, lime juice, honey syrup, and thyme. 
2. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients. 
3. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass filled with ice. 
4. Garnish with a cucumber slice and serve. 

Tris: “It’s bright, it’s fresh, it’s acidic – but not in a bad way. Could do with a splash more honey, or something a little more floral in there would really make it pop.”

4. The Flapdoodle

ChatGPT: “The Flapdoodle is a smoky and earthy cocktail that combines the bold flavors of mezcal with the sweet and slightly earthy flavors of beet juice and coconut water. The lime juice adds a tartness that balances out the sweetness, while the agave syrup adds an extra layer of sweetness and depth. The smoked paprika garnish adds a smoky aroma that enhances the overall drinking experience. This cocktail is for those who enjoy complex and unconventional flavors.”

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Mezcal 
• 1 oz Beet juice 
• 1 oz Coconut water 
• 1/2 oz Fresh lime juice 
• 1/2 oz Agave syrup 
• Pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish 

Method: 

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the mezcal, beet juice, coconut water, lime juice, and agave syrup. 
2. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients. 
3. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass filled with ice. 
4. Garnish with a pinch of smoked paprika and serve. 

Tris: “I’m upset. It’s really good. Great intensity, great length and the mezcal does exactly what it needs to do here.”

5. The Tiddely Pom

ChatGPT: “The Tiddely Pom is a fruity and herbaceous cocktail that combines the clean and crisp flavors of vodka with the sweet and tangy flavors of pomegranate juice and apple cider. The lemon juice adds a tartness that balances out the sweetness of the simple syrup, while the fresh thyme garnish adds an herbal complexity to the drink.” 

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz Vodka 
• 1 oz Pomegranate juice 
• 1 oz Apple cider 
• 1/2 oz Fresh lemon juice 
• 1/2 oz Simple syrup 
• Sprig of fresh thyme, for garnish 

Method:

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, pomegranate juice, apple cider, lemon juice, and simple syrup. 
2. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients. 
3. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass filled with ice. 
4. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme and serve. 

Tris: “It’s not bad. There’s a lot of improvement to be done. I find that you lose a little bit of the sweetness and you’re losing a little bit of the actual vodka. It’s basically just apple and pomegranate juice.”

Final thoughts

There’s no doubt that AI has made impressive strides in the world of cocktail creation, concocting innovative and unexpected recipes. And sure, we’ll admit it. AI can analyze ingredients, ratios, and even experiment with unusual combinations, but it can never replicate the human connection and intuition that lie at the heart of mixology.

The art of making a cocktail is about understanding individual preferences, having the ability to read subtle cues, and having the intuition to adapt in real-time. Human bartenders bring their personal touch, creativity, and empathy to the bar, engaging with customers, listening to their stories, and tailoring each drink to their unique desires.

No matter how sophisticated AI becomes, it can never replace the genuine human connection that adds an irreplaceable warmth (and a lot of soul) to cocktail culture. Long live the human bartender!

Now go on, and shake it like Tris. You know you want to!