Do you have what it takes to get a beer from this vending machine? In order to obtain a cold one out of this Kiwi-created contraption, you can’t just insert one of the country’s colorful dollars. Instead, to acquire a beer, you need to play guitar — and play it really, really well.


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The “Slay to Play” vending machine by Panhead Custom Ales Brewery is located in Wellington, New Zealand. Much like everything these days, it’s powered by A.I., using its computer intelligence to determine whether you did (or didn’t) peel off some tasty licks. If you’re declared a Master Shredder, congratulations, you’re entitled to one cold tall boy.



According to GuitarWorld, the machine has already developed a taste for certain kinds of music. “When it boots up, players are asked to select from punk, metal and grunge genres,” notes the piece. After making a selection, guitarists are invited to “shred” on the included guitar, an Epiphone Explorer that I’m sure is now incredibly sticky.


“We gave it its first run at the Panhead Rolling Stone Music Awards, and it turns out it’s pretty ruthless,” says Rebecca Sinclair, head of Brand at Panhead Custom Ales. “It rejected some of the best guitarists in the country.” Yes, but that country was also New Zealand, so we’re grading on a curve here.



The company’s Instagram page says that the machine is retired for Christmas and the new year, but they plan to bring it back come 2024. So if you’re in New Zealand, watch out — you’re about to experience an influx of suburban dads ready to give you their best Eric Clapton impression.