London Just Got Its First Whiskey Vending Machine

Guests at London's Napoleon Hotel don’t need to wait for a bartender to order a quality Scotch; they can order it from the vending machine. As Lonely Planet reports, the hotel now has a single-malt whiskey vending machine courtesy of Whisky-Me, a whiskey subscription service.

Whisky-Me was launched by the founders of Black Rock, a whiskey bar located in the Napoleon Hotel. Each month, subscribers receive a roughly 1.7-ounce pouch of rare or exclusive single malt Scotch in the mail for as low as $9 each. But between now and the end of December, you don't have to be a subscriber to get a taste of the action. Just hit up the vending machine at the hotel instead.

The machine is set up just outside the hotel, but you won't be able to swing by and get a shot at any moment. (Because, you know, someone has to check your ID.) You'll need to go upstairs to Devil's Darlings, one of the Napoleon's other bars, and purchase a vending machine token. Then, once you have your tokens, you can grab a pouch anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m. each day.

The whiskeys on offer include a special "birthday" variety designed to celebrate the subscription service's first anniversary, as well as some of the previous whiskeys sent out to Whisky-Me subscribers. That includes single malt Scotches from producers like Macallan (which produces Speyside whiskeys), Royal Lochnagar (a Highland distillery), and Aberfeldy (another Highland distillery).

Sounds a little more exciting than your average hotel minibar, doesn't it?