Cocktail-O-Matic BlogGuides and field notes on beverage automation: DIY cocktail machine builds, bar economics, NFC cashless and fleet operations.https://cocktail-o-matic.com/enPump calibration: the difference between a machine and a gadgethttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/calibrate-cocktail-machine-pumps/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/calibrate-cocktail-machine-pumps/How to calibrate cocktail machine pumps properly - the weighing method, what makes flow drift, how often to re-measure, and how to do it on 40 pumps without losing an evening.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTHardwareCalibrationDIYBeer, wine and sparkling: what drinks automation can and cannot dohttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/carbonated-drinks-beer-automation/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/carbonated-drinks-beer-automation/Why carbonated drinks fight back against pumps, what actually works for beer and wine, and where the honest boundary of a cocktail machine sits.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTHardwareBeveragesLimitsChoosing an automated cocktail machine: build, buy or commissionhttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/choosing-automated-cocktail-machine/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/choosing-automated-cocktail-machine/The three routes to owning one, what each really costs in money and time, and the questions to ask a vendor before you sign anything.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuying guidePlanningBusinessCleaning an automated cocktail machine: the routine that keeps it servinghttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/cleaning-automated-cocktail-machine/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/cleaning-automated-cocktail-machine/Daily, weekly and seasonal cleaning for a drinks machine - what actually grows in the lines, why sugar is the real enemy, and a routine that takes ten minutes instead of an evening.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTOperationsMaintenanceHygieneHow many pumps do you need? Designing a menu around the machinehttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/how-many-pumps-cocktail-machine/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/how-many-pumps-cocktail-machine/Pump count is a menu decision, not a hardware one. How to work out the number you need from the drinks you want to serve, and why six good lines beat twenty badly chosen ones.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTPlanningRecipesHardwareStock control when the machine counts every millilitrehttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/inventory-control-automated-bar/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/inventory-control-automated-bar/Manual bar stocktakes measure the gap between what you bought and what is left. An automated bar measures what it actually poured - which changes what you can find out, and what you can fix.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusinessInventoryBarsNFC cashless at events: how it works and what it actually costshttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/nfc-cashless-events-guide/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/nfc-cashless-events-guide/Wristbands, top-up points, offline balances and refunds - a practical guide to cashless payment at festivals, including the failure modes nobody mentions in the sales deck.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTEventsCashlessNFCYour bar software has to work when the internet does nothttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/offline-first-bar-software/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/offline-first-bar-software/Festival sites lose connectivity, venues lose their router, and a bar that stops serving because a cloud endpoint is unreachable is a broken bar. What offline-first actually requires.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTArchitectureOperationsReliabilityRunning a festival bar: throughput, staffing and the fleethttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/running-festival-bar-operations/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/running-festival-bar-operations/What actually determines how much a festival bar sells - peak throughput, staff allocation, restocking under pressure - and how automation changes each of them.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTEventsOperationsFleetDesigning a kiosk people can use while holding a drinkhttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/self-service-kiosk-design/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/self-service-kiosk-design/Self-service ordering in a bar is not a website. Lighting, noise, one-handed use, queue pressure and a first-time user every single time - what that changes about the interface.Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTDesignUXGuest experienceWhat an automated bar really costs, and when it pays for itselfhttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/automated-bar-cost-and-payback/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/automated-bar-cost-and-payback/A worked example of the economics of an automated cocktail bar: labour, pour cost, throughput and the break-even point - with the assumptions written out so you can substitute your own numbers.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusinessBarsROIHow to build a Raspberry Pi cocktail machine: the complete guidehttps://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/build-a-raspberry-pi-cocktail-machine/https://cocktail-o-matic.com/blog/build-a-raspberry-pi-cocktail-machine/Pumps, tubing, drivers, calibration and software - everything you need to build a working automated cocktail machine on a Raspberry Pi, and the mistakes that cost people a weekend.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTDIYHardwareRaspberry Pi