Think back to the last time you ordered a latte and watched the barista turn your drink into a work of art. Now it's possible to do the same with beer using just the push of a button.
Beer Ripples is a new device that prints a picture or phrase on the top of pint of beer. Parent company Ripples, which specializes in content marketing for the hospitality and food/beverage industries, originally developed a machine to create custom messages on top of coffee drinks. The company recently adapted the technology to do the same for beer and made the device commercially available through a partnership with World of Beer.
The only local World of Beer location with a Beer Ripples is in Fort Worth. Drinkers can order any of the bar's 50 draft options and have a custom message like "I <3 BEER" printed on it for free, says manager Scott Watson. Just remember to snap a photo for Instagram before you imbibe.
The Dallas Mavericks also tested out the device during the team's season closer against the Phoenix Suns on April 10. Fans could stop by the Eighteen 76 bar inside the arena for a draft pint and get a themed image on top your beer. If the testing phase goes well, fans could see the Beer Ripples option available at more games next season, says spokeswoman Erin Finegold.
How it works
Beer Ripples uses malt-based ink to print custom images and messages on a frothy pint in a couple of seconds. It's best for styles with good head retention, says Watson, so World of Beer Fort Worth often serves beers imprinted with the bar's logo to patrons who order dark beers such as porters and stouts, as well as beers on nitro. But if you ask nicely, bartenders can doll up any type of beer you order. The message or picture just may dissipate more quickly, Watson says.
Another cool perk: World of Beer staff can also snap or upload a photo to print on your beer.
"If it's appropriate, we can take a picture of somebody ... to do their face," Watson says. "If we get businesses that come in for a party, we can put their logo on it."
Ripples isn't the only company to bring latte art into the 21st century, but it seems to be one of the first to apply that thinking to beer. Beer Ripples even made headlines in March when a concessionaire at Yankees Stadium printed images of famous players including Aaron Judge on beer during a media event, according to Newsday. Major League Baseball quickly ordered a cease-and-desist of use of the images. Buzz kill.
Watch the Beer Ripples machine in action:
