I found myself at Las Vegas’s massive CES technology show in January. There, thousands of companies showed off the latest and greatest in gadgets and gewgaws. Artificial intelligence was the big draw this year, from talking refrigerators to baby cribs that auto-rock when they sense restlessness.
Want a perfect Manhattan? What about a “sweet but not too sweet” drink? Eh, not so much. The two “robot bartender” machines at the convention were glorified coffee makers. Besides, as a friend and longtime bartender loves to point out, robots will never replace humans as bartenders. No robot can crack a joke, remember your anniversary, and listen to sad-sack stories with sage understanding while mixing up a custom old-fashioned.
For the home bartender, apps like Mixel offer endless variations of recipes but little further guidance. It’s the expertise of bartenders and the deep knowledge of sommeliers that elevate a drinking experience into a learning adventure and a social pleasure, not the machines that track efficiency and calculate costs per drink.
So, when I heard about a new wine bar in Wyandotte that uses a self-pour system and state-of-the-art chilling and dispensing equipment, I was skeptical to say the least. JBird Wine Bar opened in January 2024. The Maple Street establishment is a venture from four longtime friends — JT and Danielle Teringo, Brody Smith, and Renee Haveman. The quartet had enjoyed self-pour wine bars in Austin, Texas, so when Michigan legalized self-pour alcohol service in 2022, they decided to dive in and open a bar of their own.
It’s this willingness to take a risk, combined with their enthusiasm for enjoying wine without pretense, that makes JBird (named for each of their first initials, plus an “I” shaped like a wine glass) a great place to hang out on a stormy evening with friends. “We’re learning as we go,” Danielle Teringo says. “We’re trying to adjust to what the customers are asking for.”
The advantages of the self-pouring system are undeniable for the business owners: Steel kegs of wine are climate-controlled and can last up to six months after being tapped, as opposed to bottled wine, which must be dumped a few days after opening. It’s more sustainable, too: Larger volume means less package waste. And the labor costs are relatively small as well, with only one or two staff members needed to take credit card payments and hand out the digital bracelets that customers use to select their wines.
The team behind JBird has also found that the system allows for more-adventurous guests. Since they can choose between 1-ounce, 2.5-ounce, 5-ounce, or full 8-ounce pours, it’s easy to mix and match or try something new without committing to a full glass. With long communal tables and a few intimate booths, JBird is a great opportunity, Haveman says, to “make it what you want. You can do date, friends’ night out, bachelor, bachelorette, birthday — anything you want.”
If my visit is any indication, celebrations at JBird are a regular occurrence. Especially when the Chambong comes out. That’s right: sparkling wine guzzle servers designed to transmit the wine as quickly and efficiently as possible. Hey, maybe this idea of automation and optimizing efficiency isn’t so bad after all.
This story originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on April 7.
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