Are you looking for something to go with your meal of vending machine caviar and canned peanut butter sandwiches, but you want to buy it from a vending machine? Bypass the Mr. Pibb and head straight for the vending machines. If you’re shopping at a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, location of grocery-store chain Giant, then take a look around the front of the store for one of the state’s new trial wine vending machines. Technically, they’re official wine-dispensing kiosks run by the Pennsylvania Alcohol Control Board, but hey, wine in a grocery store!
So how do they keep the kids out and keep the serious adults in? Well, they have to swipe their drivers’ license, blow into a breathalyzer, and (crucially) has to look up into a surveillance camera. This allows a state employee to give them permission to buy their wine by visibly verifying their identity and intoxication level to prevent fraud.
While some wine snobs might be displeased, these machines aren’t meant for them. “They were developed for the average consumer who wants a nice bottle of wine with their steak and seafood,” said Simple Brands president Jim Lesser. If the trial is successful, the state is looking to roll out hundreds of wine kiosks across the state and increase the presence of local wines in the selection.
Tags: vending machine wine, wine in vending machines, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Giant, unusual vending machine items, drinks from vending machines, unusual food items, wine kiosks, food distribution methods, Jim Lesser