An open-source, 12-bottle cocktail turret that dispenses drinks on demand through a Flask-based web + touch-screen UI.
Built for hobbyists, makers, and thirsty hackers who’d rather code than bartend.
| Category | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hardware | • 12-slot rotating turret driven by a NEMA-17 + DM542T stepper • Linear actuator (≈ 6 ″ clearance, 0.5 ″ stroke) pushes each bottle’s valve • 24 V / 5 A Mean Well PSU • Optional “Safe Mode” disables the pour GPIOs for dry-runs |
| Software | • Flask server & lightweight JS/HTMX front-end • Live recipe sync from TheCocktailDB • Dynamic menu shows only makeable drinks based on current slots • Settings page (motor params, theme toggle, default shot size, etc.) • Debug & test pages for turret rotation, actuator jog, GPIO pins • Auto-update: checks GitHub on startup & via manual button, restarts via systemd |
| Versioning | Semver-ish thousandths (e.g. 0.004) stored in version.txt, incremented automatically when bundling release ZIPs |
| Dev-Ops | • .service file for systemd auto-start • GitHub Actions stub for lint/tests (extend as you like) |
Every page is served by the Flask app at http://<pi-ip>:5000 and is sized for fat fingers on the
Pi's touchscreen, but it works just as well from a phone or laptop on the same network.
The shots below use a demo 12-bottle setup with Safe Mode on.
The menu only lists drinks you can actually make right now — every ingredient has to be in a slot, in the pantry, or covered by a substitution. Tap Pour and the turret does the rest.
Tapping a thumbnail opens the recipe with quantities already rescaled to whole dispenser shots, so the amounts you read are the amounts the machine will actually pour.
While a drink is being made, the app logs each step — which bottle it rotated to, how much it dispensed, and any pantry items you need to top up by hand.
Almost There… lists every recipe you're exactly one ingredient away from — a handy shopping list for the next liquor-store run.
The wider view: every recipe you can't make yet, with all of its missing ingredients listed.
Map each of the 12 turret slots to an ingredient, list the mixers and garnishes you keep on hand,
set up substitutions (rum → light rum), pick your shot size, and flip Safe Mode for dry runs.
Remap the GPIO pins without touching code, then use the slot picker to jog the turret and confirm each bottle lines up under the actuator.
| Qty | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raspberry Pi 4 (2 GB +) | Controls everything |
| 1 | 24 V 5 A Mean Well LRS-120-24 | Shared PSU |
| 1 | DM542T stepper driver | Micro-stepping friendly |
| 1 | NEMA-17 42 mm stepper, 400 mN·m + | Turret rotation |
| 1 | 12-slot aluminum turret + flange couplers | Houses bottles |
| 1 | Linear actuator (0.5 ″ stroke, 24 V) | Pushes bottle valves |
| 1 | Thrust bearing + MayTec 1.11.0408KT.89SP plate | Supports turret load |
| … | Jumper wires, limit switch (home), misc. M3/M4 hardware |
(Full BoM, coupler part #s, and mounting drawings live in /docs.)
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-venv git
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt # Flask, requests, RPi.GPIO, etc.# 1. Clone
git clone https://github.com/cmc0619/barrobot.git
cd barrobot
# 2. Configure bottles (or use the web UI later)
cp bottle_config.sample.json bottle_config.json
nano bottle_config.json # map each slot to an ingredient
# 3. Run it
python app.py # dev mode
# or enable the systemd service for auto-start
sudo cp systemd-barrobot.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-barrobotOpen http://<pi-ip>:5000 to view the menu, settings, and debug pages.
| File / Page | Purpose |
|---|---|
bottle_config.json |
Maps turret slots → ingredient names (case-insensitive) |
| Settings → UI | Theme, default pour size, GPIO pins, motor params, “Safe Mode” |
hardware.py |
Low-level stepper/actuator helper; tweak if you swap drivers |
live_Recipes.json |
Auto-downloaded on startup then merged into recipes.json |
Version file: version.txt (3-digit thousandths)
The ZIP bundler bumps this automatically—so tag 0.004, 0.005, etc.
The Flask app checks GitHub for newer tags on boot.
From the main page you can also hit Update Now →; after a successful pull it restarts the systemd service.
Issues & PRs welcome! For major changes, open an issue first to discuss what you’d like to add or tweak.
MIT © 2025 Cliff Campbell (cmc0619)
MIT – hack it, remix it, just don’t blame me if it pours you a triple.