11

This image has been making the internets circuits:

enter image description here

usually with the caption: An ice-cold whisky dispenser, sometimes found in offices. (1950s).

Were there really such things? It seems photoshopped to me.

Improve this question
1

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
11

The caption is not true, but it's a real photo -- of a prototype.

Actual caption: "At the Second Automatic Vending Exhibition in London, a woman helps herself to a vending machine-mixed whisky and soda. February 15, 1960"

There's also a photo of a beer vending machine taken in that era.

As my Google Scholar search for "alcohol vending machine" came up dry, I can only guess that neither of these ever became particularly common in the West, but this kind of device that pours your beer or whisky for you is widely available in airport lounges, and you can occasionally find alcohol vending machines in Japan.

Improve this answer
2
  • Beer vending machines can be found in Japan at least (well, at least up to 2008 the last time I was in that part of the world, though the government was making an effort to get them out of places where they might encourage drunk-driving).
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Feb 6, 2016 at 18:58
  • 4
    Came up dry, eh? I see what you did there.
    – Michael Wolf
    Feb 9, 2016 at 20:08

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .