A vending machine every forum member would love to own

[coppinpr]

Recently ive got interested in at least making a list of all the odd vending machines I can find, Ive just seen this one that im certain would go down well at Coventry. A Whisky & Soda vendor!
Built by Rollason Aerocessaries of Croydon ( the name reflects the site of the factory on the old Croydon Airport site) in 1960 and seen here at the vending machine show held in London in 1960. God knows where it was supposed to be installed, theater bars is the only place that makes sense to me. Clearly made for the UK market and unusual in taking half crowns it apparently had automatic switches that locked it down outside of licencing hours, The plastic cup is a killer though. If a shot of whiskey was two and six then that means its increased in price by about 2400% (I think that right 24 times the original cost)

[operator bell]

Nah, it would never catch on. Paper cups! Plus you have no idea what watered rotgut the owner filled it with. Maybe if there was a glass panel displaying the bottle, and a matching dispenser for crystal glasses with two cubes of ice...

For what it's worth, I've seen other alcoholic drink dispensers at trade shows, but I don't believe such a thing has ever been legal in Britain.

[coppinpr]

I don't believe such a thing has ever been legal in Britain

I cant believe anyone would make the machine if it wasn't legal, and providing it was inside licensed premises there would be no licencing problems as anyone legally allowed into the bar would be within there rights to use the machine during opening hours. As I said I cant imagine where this would have been usefully installed other than in a cinema or theater bar which were notoriously hard to get a drink from during the 20 min interval in the performance or perhaps a hotel lounge or railway station buffet

[raj]

If a shot of whiskey was two and six then that means its increased in price by about 2400% (I think that right 24 times the original cost)

that sounds about right for when I started my long drinking career, in 1969. Beer was around 1/- a pint ( that's 5p in new money ) but spirits were taxed to the hilt and were only 1/3rd of a gill, if memory serves, at around 2/6d. Only really serious drinkers drank spirits in those days !

Maybe the Croydon Airport connection is a clue, if they were built for the airport trade. 2/6d per shot in 1960 sounds like a dear drink, so only the Costa's of the day could get away with such extortion.

[operator bell]

I cant believe anyone would make the machine if it wasn't legal, and providing it was inside licensed premises there would be no licencing problems as anyone legally allowed into the bar would be within there rights to use the machine during opening hours.

If someone can give an example of an alcohol vending machine operating in Britain, I'll stand corrected and make a humble apology. They're legal in other countries - Japan, for example (see pic) - but I believe they have to be shut off from 11pm until 6am. Also, that's a drivers license reader on the front to prevent kids using it.



A wine dispenser was approved in Pennsylvania last year. In order to use it, you first insert your driver's license, then a built-in camera photographs your face and compares it to the picture. If that matches you may then blow into a breathalyzer and if you are sober, you may then be dispensed a bottle of wine. There have already been howls of outrage from the liquor stores.