Dive Brief:

• Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. is partnering with Anheuser-Busch InBev to develop an in-home alcohol drink system in North America, according to Food Business News. 
• AB InBev said the new system will blend its brewing and packaging technology with Keurig Green Mountain’s Keurig Kold technology, an in-home, single-serve cold beverage platform that was originally launched in the fall of 2015, but discontinued last summer.
• The employees of the joint venture will come from the current AB InBev and Keurig teams and work in facilities in both Massachusetts and Vermont.

Dive Insight:

While the idea of a countertop appliance that could dispense alcoholic drinks in the home might seem appealing at first, the joint venture between Keurig and AB-InBev will likely face one of the same problems that Keurig faced with its Keurig Kold system: it could be seen as too much of a novelty item.

The proposed machine would dispense beer, spirits, cocktails and mixers in one-cup dispensers, and would be the first of its kind on the market. Still, a reason the Keurig Kold system didn’t catch on was because people just didn’t see the value of making freshly crafted soft drinks when they could just as easily crack open a can. Another reason was its high price tag, which seemed out of touch with the target market.

There also could be some issues with those under the drinking age. Cups like these are normally sold in large boxes and could be more easily accessible to those under 21. Some states would be able to sell them in grocery stores but others would only have them available in liquor stores, which could hurt sales.

It’s easy to see how something like this could be a big seller on late night TV infomercials, but until a product is ready to be tested, it’s hard to say how popular they can really become.