AI in alcohol: the good, the bad and the hilariously unpredictable

There was a time when choosing a bottle of wine meant either sticking to a familiar favourite or enduring the slightly panicked look of a sommelier when you mispronounced "Gewürztraminer." Now, thanks to artificial intelligence, the decision could be made for you before you've even walked into the shop. Welcome to the brave new world of AI in alcohol, where machines claim to know our drinking habits better than we do. The post AI in alcohol: the good, the bad and the hilariously unpredictable appeared first on The Drinks Business.

Feb 27, 2025 - 11:26

AI in alcohol: the good, the bad and the hilariously unpredictable

There was a time when choosing a bottle of wine meant either sticking to a familiar favourite or enduring the slightly panicked look of a sommelier when you mispronounced "Gewürztraminer." Now, thanks to artificial intelligence, the decision could be made for you before you've even walked into the shop. Welcome to the brave new world of AI in alcohol, where machines claim to know our drinking habits better than we do. AI service robot serving wine in a dining room

A new study, featuring insights from Brown-Forman’s Amit Parulekar and published by NABCA, explores the growing influence of AI in the drinks industry. From optimising production to predicting consumer trends with unnerving accuracy, AI is already transforming how we make, sell and consume alcohol. But as with any technology, there are risks and not all of them can be solved by a well-timed top-up.

The bold new frontier

According to the report, AI is making waves across the beverage alcohol world, bringing innovation and efficiency to every corner of the industry. Key developments include:

Winemakers using AI to predict harvest quality – machine learning is analysing environmental conditions to improve grape yield forecasts, theoretically reducing the likelihood of disastrous vintages
AI-powered distilleries – real-time monitoring systems are ensuring batch consistency, meaning that your favourite whisky is less likely to suffer from a particularly rebellious cask
Chatbots and recommendation engines – AI-driven customer service tools now suggest wines for your dinner party, although they still struggle with understanding that your guests are an unpredictable mix of staunch Merlot devotees and natural wine evangelists
Generative AI for marketing and product design – AI is now responsible for crafting brand stories and inventing new spirits, perhaps even coming up with the next big cocktail trend before bartenders do.

In theory, these innovations mean better efficiency, lower waste and tastier drinks. But theory and practice, as anyone who has opened a bottle of corked wine knows, are often very different things.

The risks

For all its potential, AI in alcohol is not without its hazards. The study points out several key concerns:

Data dependency – AI needs high-quality data to function well, yet many beverage alcohol businesses still operate with fragmented and outdated systems. For instance, you can’t teach an algorithm to be a sommelier if all it has to work with is supermarket sales figures
Regulatory and ethical hurdles – AI-generated spirits and marketing blur the lines of alcohol laws. Will an algorithm ever be held accountable for launching a disastrously bad limited-edition gin? Probably not
The human touch problem – AI can analyse flavour profiles, but can it replicate the artistry of a master distiller? If it starts claiming to have "intuition," we should all be very concerned
Bias and predictability – AI trained on past preferences might reinforce existing trends rather than innovate. Meaning, we might be doomed to an endless loop of overpriced orange wines

In other words, the alcohol industry, and any industry for that matter, needs to ensure that AI is a tool rather than a replacement for human expertise.

The future

The study suggests that AI will play a crucial role in the drinks industry, but its success will depend on how well it integrates with human expertise. Instead of replacing sommeliers, distillers and winemakers, AI should act as their highly efficient assistant – or, at worst, the intern who makes excellent spreadsheets but still needs guidance. And while AI can predict what’s trending and even develop new drinks, it still can’t appreciate a perfectly aged Bordeaux, savour the joy of a surprise discovery in a dusty wine shop, or raise a glass in celebration. At least, not yet.

AI is clever, but humans still pour the drinks

So, should we embrace AI in alcohol or eye it suspiciously, like a questionably discounted bottle of Champagne? The answer, as ever, lies in balance. AI is already proving its worth in production and logistics, but its role in creativity and decision-making remains a work in progress. Ultimately, AI may suggest the perfect bottle for your next dinner party – but it won’t stop your guests from polishing off the good stuff first and leaving you with the dubious supermarket own-brand. Some things, it seems, are beyond even the most powerful algorithms.