CRYSTAL LAKE – Two and a half years ago, William Metropulos finally sketched onto a napkin the idea that'd been floating around his head for two decades.

Metropulos, 49, had been VP of sales for a company in McHenry, and after he was part of a set of layoffs, his mind went back to the machine he'd always envisioned, the one he'd thought up while watching bartenders struggle during his side gig as a DJ at weddings.

The idea was there for the taking – build a machine that pours the drinks for you. No more fumbling with bottles. No more disappointed customers stiffed on scotch or choking back disproportionately mixed cocktails.