Whenever I fly back to L.A., I have a standard ritual I go through. I make sure to get to Narita Airport well ahead of my departure time, check in for my flight, and have a beer or two before take-off. This gets me nice and sleepy, and I usually doze off shortly after we reach our cruising altitude, waking up several hours closer to home.
Since I fly coach, there’s a convenience store inside the terminal where I procure my supplies in canned form. Should I ever find myself with a Qantas business class ticket, though, it’s good to know that the Australian carrier’s business longue not only has draft Asahi, but that it’s perfectly poured by an awesome beer-dispensing machine.
Like many of the premium lounges for fliers at Narita, Qantas’ facility is stocked with refreshments to enjoy while you wait for your flight. In this video, uploaded to YouTube by world traveler Brooke Kollineiser, we can see a selection of wines and crackers, but what’s really special is that small black device on the far left.
Brooke places her glass on the stand, hits the button…
…and out comes a stream of delicious Asahi Super Dry!
Not only does the device know when to automatically stop in order to prevent spills, it even adds an extra bit of foam, complying with what Japan generally considers to be the ideal ratio of 30 percent head to 70 percent beer in the glass.
Sadly, unlike a real bartender, the beer dispenser can’t ask you how your family is doing these days, nor can it send a drink over to that attractive single traveler you’ve spotted sitting by the window. It will, though, patiently listen as you rattle on about the awesome trip you just had to Japan and show it all the great photos you took in Kyoto and from the top of Mt. Fuji, never once rolling its eyes and always ready to give you another perfect pour.
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