Coach, the absent minded bartender at Cheers will be crying in the beer.
The 'Internet of Beer' is upon us. Using the cloud, AI and robotics, Pubinno, a San Francisco-based Tech firm, allows beer patrons to receive their own beer seconds following scanning a QR Code. To do so, the beer patrons must pay using a Lightning Network supported wallet.
According to Pubinno:
Pubinno Internet of Beer Solutions have been developed to design the future of draft beer by creating a fully connected digital ecosystem where draft beer operations are becoming fully automatized, standardized, trackable and more environmental friendly.
[Pubinno. The Future of Draft Beer. (Accessed March 19, 2022)].
The Company boasts:
Let’s make every pint perfect!
AI Powered Pubinno Smart Tap has been innovated to provide perfect draft beer quality for draft beer systems all over the world. Besides, via the patented robotic mechanism which is embedded into Pubinno Smart Beer Tap system Tap and which controls the flow rate of beer and amount of foam savings can be generated up to 20% per keg.
[Pubinno. Smart Tap. (Accessed March 19, 2022)].
The Smart Tap accepts payments by scanning a QR code on its screen from a wallet that supports lightning network. The tap receives confirmation of the payment (which takes roughly two seconds) and then pours the beer. Through this technology, beer lovers can hygienically pour beers in any amount they want without having to limit themselves to standard sizes, such as 30, 40, or 50 CLs.
[Mahas, G. Beer-Tech Company Pubinno is Integrated with Bitcoin Payment Infrastructure. (Accessed March 19, 2022)].
Pubinno's Smart Tap System was originally created in 2016. In an interview with Cointelegraph, Pubinno's CEO Can Algul explained his decision to use the Lightning Network for Smart Tap payments as follows:
We worked on Lightning Network because it is dependent upon the underlying technology of blockchain. By using real Bitcoin/blockchain transactions and using its native smart-contract scripting language, it is possible to create a secure network of participants, which are able to transact at high volume and high speed with low gas fees.
[Kirimi, A. The Internet of Beer: Robotics startup taps Bitcoin to deliver automated beverage. (Accessed March 19, 2022)].
According to CEO Algul, "the 'advantages of the Lightning Network' allow bar owners to get paid in seconds with little or no commissions, and with the self-serve capability of the smart tap system, they may save a lot of money on labor costs" [Id]. Cointelegraph further inquired if Pubinno would be accepting other coins or tokens as payment on the Smart Tap system. To this, Algul stated the decision would be based on certain variables such as scalability, costs of transactions and speed, adding:
We will determine our direction according to the adaptation of the industry and continue to develop our infrastructure on a blockchain adaptive basis. We also conduct feasibility studies on developing Pubinno tokens.
[Id].
Continuing on the topic of additional coins for payment Algul noted: "the world is in a deep-rooted digitization phase and the fastest development is shaped around blockchain." Algul referred to BTC as the first cryptocurrency that comes to mind, but he also stated that stablecoins would be integrated into the payment system in the future" [Id].
So next time you visit your neighborhood pub for a cold one, remember the digitization of beer service began with Pubinno. And as for Coach, well...the future is near.
