ChatbotGPT, Bartender

It Knows Its Way Around a Twist on a Classic

“I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.”

Thus said Hal in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” 2001 may have come and gone without the space odyssey coming to fruition, but in 2023, we’ve got a closer iteration in the form of ChatbotGPT. The artificial intelligence (AI) can do many human things, including just making things up, but it can’t lock the pod bay doors on us, yet.

What it can do, apparently, is come up with cocktail recipes. And not just crazy recipes, but recipes that sound good. Whether the programmers were aficionados or the bot is gaining sentience remains to be seen, though the lack of taste buds on the part of the AI makes the former the more likely answer.

When I asked ChatbotGPT to come up with cocktails, every one sounded good. One, though, had the benefit of featuring ingredients I had in my house. The Peach Bourbon Iced Tea sounds good and might make an appearance later, but I don’t keep Peach Schnapps around. The gin and tequila recipes, requiring homemade fruit syrups, are in a similar boat. The Smoky Maple Sour, on the other hand, only needed things I had on hand.

Granted, the recipe called for an Islay Scotch whereas I only have Speysides around. Chatbot had me covered, for in the notes it said one could substitute a different Scotch. To add a little more smoke back to the mix, I opted to make the drink using Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel. It was delicious and I will make it again.

Is Chatbot poised to become our new robot mixologist overlord, then? Maybe, but not just yet. It can only expand on things which have already been done, and the Smoky Maple Sour is really just a play on the Whiskey Sour, albeit missing an egg white, an ingredient Chatbot isn’t afraid to suggest.

In other words, it may be able to augment our bar reality, but it cannot replace it, not least of which because of the aforementioned lack of taste buds.

The Smoky Maple Sour

Into a shaker add:
2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. maple syrup
1/4 oz. Islay Scotch or any other Scotch you have around
Dash bitters

Add ice, shake vigorously, and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice (Chatbot’s recipe) or with one large cube (my spin). Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy.