Meet ‘Tex’: The virtual bartender helping you mix the perfect cocktail

Accessible via SMS text or online chat, a virtual bartender named Tex will “help address consumers’ ongoing frustration with how to craft and perfectly pair cocktails at home”, explains Round 2 Spirits, the company that produces the Weber Ranch Vodka brand. 

Tex is portrayed as a friendly Texan tipping his cowboy hat, while using OpenAI technology to connect users instantly with a Weber Ranch virtual bartender trained on knowledge of the art of cocktail making. 

According to Round 2 Spirits, the tool is individualised (not scripted in its responses) and aims to highlight the versatility of Weber Ranch Vodka in cocktails by utilising recipes that were created by bartenders across the country.  

“By blending human creativity with AI precision, Tex is ready to recommend, guide and personalise drink recipes anywhere, anytime,” the company explains in a press statement. 

It adds that Tex was built for “real-world, real-life behaviour”. For example, users can snap a photo of the items inside their refrigerator or pantry, text it to Tex, and immediately get a cocktail recipe suggestion that uses the ingredients on hand.  

Tex can also direct people to a bar or retail store, answer questions about batching recipes, plan a cocktail menu for a special occasion, suggest personalised cocktail names for a friend’s birthday party, or find alternative ingredients for certain cocktails. 

Personalised tool that deepens customer engagement 

Says Lee Applbaum, President and COO of Texas-based Round 2 Spirits: “While most companies and brands use AI simply for automated customer service ‘chat,’ we’re doing something very different and innovative, harnessing the immense power of AI technology to create a … personalised tool that deepens customer engagement in a way that is helpful, informative and fun. 

“AI is replacing search. It’s the way that people access and consume information today, and Tex delivers on that in an entertaining way, while also staying true to our respect and appreciation for the professional bartender’s craft.” 

New York and London-based Cyphr, the digital-first experience and venture studio, partnered with the Weber Ranch team to master the technology behind Tex. 

Comments James Penfold, co-founder and Experience Director at Cyphr: “Most bots just talk. Ours thinks. Tex isn’t just answering questions, he’s learning what you like and adapting.  

“The more you interact, the more personalised your experience becomes – just like talking to your favourite bartender who remembers your favourite drink.