Depending on the mood, artificial intelligence is either biding its time before poisoning the water — and frankly, it’ll have to get in line for that — or it’s set to be a happily servile addition to the human race, sorting out the boring bits while we’re all out necking Martinis or wild foraging or something (adjust to taste).
Either way, a change is going to come. AI’s apparently unlimited brain means it seemingly can turn its ghostly hands to anything. Earlier this year, reports came out of ChatGPT inventing the “best cocktail in the world”. Safe to say, this concoction of (deep breath) gin, lime juice, elderflower liqueur, absinthe, Cointreau, orange bitters, honey syrup, sparkling wine and an orange twist proved that its name, the Heavenly Sipper, was a bare-faced lie. Heavenly? Hellish is the word. But it’s an interesting thought. Could AI really understand how to build drinks better than a well-trained mixologist? What about the best in the world? And so the Standard turned to Chelsie Bailey, who is the head bartender at the Savoy’s American Bar, generally held to be the most prestigious gig in the game.
