Tilt

Take directly from a report on BBC

Shoppers in the US state of Pennsylvania have been given the chance to buy their favourite tipple from a wine vending machine. The state has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country and until now wine has only been sold at state-owned shops.

The machines check the buyer’s identification for proof of age and a built-in breathalyser tests sobriety. The vending machines hold 700 temperature-controlled bottles – ranging in price from $7-23 (£4-14).

‘Leveraged technology’

But in a state where alcohol sales are tightly controlled, maybe the most tightly controlled in the country, customers have to jump through several hoops. First they must swipe both a proof of age and their payment card.

Then there’s the breathalyser. A quick puff to show they’re sober and the appropriate door will open. CCTV cameras are monitored by state officials as a final safeguard. “We don’t serve minors, we don’t serve intoxicated individuals,” said Patrick Stapleton, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Boards.

Until now Pennsylvania’s drinkers have only been able to buy wine in state-run liquor stores which are often over-regulated, too expensive and inconvenient.