When I was looking into buying this I had sooo many questions. I want to attempt to give you as much detail as possible so you know what you're getting yourself into here. I am going to go over each aspect of this drink maker. Buckle up! Oh, one more thing...I would like to point out that I am writing this review after 3 months of use.First Impressions (Unboxing & Packaging / Quality):It comes very well packaged so that nothing comes broken or damaged. The drink maker seems very well made and sturdy. It's made of plastic but it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy in any way. It looks nice on the counter and looks very high end however it is a little larger than I imagined it would be. Luckily for me, I have plenty of counter space in my kitchen but it is definitely something to keep in mind.Set-Up:The set up is really easy as long as you can follow instructions. It comes with step by step paper instructions but the little LCD screen on the front will also take you through step by step prompts. One thing to keep in mind is that the setup process from start to finish will take you about 30 - 40 minutes, so make sure you have some time set aside. The setup process consists of 4 main steps each taking about 5 to 10 mins a piece. (Rinsing/Cleaning components, installing the CO2 cartridge, running an internal machine rinse and chilling of the water)Using the machine:Once the step up is complete and the water has chilled, you are ready to make your first drink! The use of the drink maker is extremely simple. You literally insert a drink pod into the machine, press the flashing start button and you are good to go. If you've ever used a Keurig than you'll already be a pro! If you put your drink pod in the maker and you get a flashing red start button than most likely you have put your drink pod in the wrong way. Each drink pod has a bar code on the back that has to line up with the scanner inside the drink maker. This bar code tells the drink maker what type of drink it is. This is important because that bar code tells the machine how big to make the drink, how cold to make it, and whether the drink needs carbonation or not. Make sure the bar code is facing away from you when you put it in. One thing I should mention is that there is an app you can download and syncs up with your maker via Bluetooth however the app honestly seems kinda pointless. It will give you stats on the machine, like when it had it's last cleaning and the temperature of the water. The only useful thing about it is that it will update your Drinkmaker to the latest framework which is probably necessary.The Pods:Now, this is where I had the MOST questions so I am going to break this down into little subcategories.General Info:Yes, the pods contain actual alcohol. These are not just mixers, literally, everything you need is inside the pod. One big thing I have seen in reviews on this product is that people are upset that the machine doesn't come with any pods. The thing is, due to liquor laws they are not able to include alcohol with the drink maker as underage children may be able to purchase this product. Plus it would prevent the company from being able to sell this product in retailers such as Walmart, Target, and even here on Amazon.Where to buy?Most likely pods can be purchased at your local chain liquor store. I say chain because this is a fairly new product and I don't see these pods as something your local "mom and pop" liquor store will have yet. I definitely haven't seen them in any of mine and I live in a major metropolitan city. The Drinkworks official website just launched a pod locater so you can see which stores locally carry them. (I wish this was something they had when I purchased mine as I had to do my own research with trial and error, driving to different stores, calling etc.) Depending on where you live and the local liquor laws, you also may be able to purchase these online and have them delivered to your home, again, the website will tell you that.How much are they?It depends, but 90% of them will cost you $15.99 for a 4 Pack of pods. Seems high right? I would tend to agree but here are a few things to keep in mind. The brake down factors to about $4.00 per drink which is WAY cheaper than you would get it at a bar. The other thing to keep in mind is the extreme convenience this has for liquor storage and inventory. For example, I love Long Island Ice Teas, however, I never make them at home because I don't have vodka, white rum, silver tequila, gin, triple sec, simple syrup, lemon juice and coke. The point here is that you are really paying for convenience here and it's nice that you can have a get-together and everyone can drink what they want without having to have 12 bottles of different liquors and 6 mixers.What drinks do they have?This is hard to answer this because they are constantly adding new drinks. But as of the time I am writing this review, they have about 40 drinks including most of the classics like Whiskey Sour, Cosmopolitan, Moskow Mule, Old Fashioned, Mojito, Margarita, Gin & Tonic...the list could go on. One thing I love is that they come out with specialty and seasonal drinks which I always end up loving. Right now we are at the start of summer and they came out with a summer collection of drinks that has a Blackberry Mojito, Aloha Margarita, Basil Tom Collins and a Strawberry Vodka Lemonade. Sooo good! I like that they are always adding things and coming up with new fun specialty drinks! The other thing I would STRONGLY recommend is getting their sampler pack that includes their top 16 drinks. You can visit the official Drinkworks website for the most up to date list of drinks.Do they actually taste good? Are they strong?This is probably the MAIN question. Here's the thing, I think the drinks are pretty good. Some I have liked way better than others, some I really liked, some I didn't like at all. Now, is it the best mojito I've ever had, No. Is it the best Long Island I have ever had, No! But it's coming out of a pod for crying out loud! I see people on here complaining about the drinks but at the end of the day, you have to set your expectations realistically. I think for a mixed alcoholic drink coming out of a pod they are pretty darn good. I mean you saw me list all the ingredients for a Long Island and I was extremely impressed they were able to fit all of the taste of a long island in these pods. If you are a drink snob then I differently don't think this would be the product for you. The strength of the drinks depends on the drink you're making and they have a bozzieness scale on the front of each drink. Have I ever gotten a buzz of these? Absolutely! (and I am not a lightweight by any means, lol)Maintenance:The machine does require some maintenance every now and then but it will let you know when it needs a cleaning or when the Co2 cartridge is low. The cleaning process does require special cleaning tablets made by the company but your machine comes with enough tablets for you to do two cleaning cycles. It also comes with an extra Co2 cartridge as well. These supplies can also be purchased at the liquor store where you buy your pods or on the Drinkworks website.Customer Service:This may be something odd to mention but I feel like in this case, it is necessary. The Drinkworks company labels itself as having "Top Shelf" customer service and they are not kidding. Every time I have chatted with someone from their customer service team they are always above and beyond nice. On one of my chats, I happened to ask her what her favorite pod was and she told me and then after the chat had ended she actually followed up with me a few hours later and told me she had asked around the office for some other peoples favorites and gave me a list and then reached out a few days later to make sure I didn't have any other questions! They are really great and super helpful!Recycling: (Added)The drinkmaker also comes with a prepaid mailer where you can mail off the pods to be recycled which is pretty cool. If you ever need more bags you can contact the customer service team and they will mail you more, free of charge.OVERALL:I think the Drinkmaker is great and I would differently recommend it! lolSo I have had my Drinkworks for about a month now. I've been through enough of the pod selection (multiple times) that I can give a somewhat informed review at this point of not only the machine, but the drinks (which is really all that anyone cares about).It is important to note that the machine is simply a chilled and carbonated water injector. All the magic ingredients stay in the pod and are mixed and dispensed directly into your cup. You will NOT get top shelf, experienced bar tender quality drinks from this machine. The core ingredients are in plastic pods, not gonna happen, just accept it. But you will get sports bar, mediocre bar tender quality drinks WHENEVER you want. So after a hard day working in the yard, you don't have to get cleaned up to relax with a good drink.OVERALL, I do recommend this machine. You don't have to have a $500 liquor cabinet and you can have almost any drink you want at the touch of a button. Buy a couple of samplers, figure out what you like, then buy those individually (4 or 12 pod boxes) to build out your drink library.So the quick rundown followed by drink ratings and a few tips.PROS- Convenient and quick drinks whenever you are ready- Wide variety of drinks available with more on the way (40+ at present)- Top shelf varieties are slowly making their way to market (Gentleman Jack, Herradura, etc)- Cost of the pods is $4 - 5 dollars depending on classic or top shelf, bar drinks are $8+- Fast; drinks mix in about 20 seconds (carbonated may require a wait for the water to chill)- Mostly decent drinks (see individual reviews below)CONS- Machine makes all sorts of loud noises while dispensing (thank goodness for the 1 yr warranty)- Local supplies are sparse, I have to order all mine online and wait 2 weeks- Various state liquor laws (shipping), CHECK drinkworks.com as you may NOT be able to even get pods- Generally small sized drinks (small whiskey glass), but what can you expect with pod size/mix ratioTIPSYes, there will generally be a film after your drink dispenses. I dispense mine into a tall glass, transfer back and forth with my drinking glass a time or two, then let it sit for a minute. There is a substantial different in the taste between drinking it immediately after dispensing and after waiting a minute. The latter is a good deal better in my opinion. Also, invest in some quality whiskey stones or stainless cubes. I'm a sipper so ice will melt and dilute the taste.PODS PRETTY GOOD - Herradura Margarita (Top Shelf): one of my favorites - Jack Daniels Manhattan (Top Shelf): pretty good, mostly taste like straight whiskey - Classic Long Island: I was surprised, but this is one of the better ones - Classic Cosmopolitan: My wife's favorite, not bad at all - Mai Tai: another surprising one, I liked it alot - Moscow Mule: I'm not big on citrus soda, but I have to admit it was pretty good otherwise GOOD - Red Sangria: surprisingly good, like most of margarita's not enough tang/tart aftertaste, too smooth - Whiskey Sour: good enough, like margarita's too smooth aftertaste, sitting a min helps a LOT with taste - Vodka Lemonade: not bad, not bad at all - Strawberry Margarita: was good initially, wanna try after it sitting a min to see if any more tart OKAY - Peach Sangria: a little light on peach taste but still decent - Whiskey Cola: this is my go to at home so of course it won't compare, pretty close though - Cuban Daiquiri: Grapefruit is NOT my thing, grapefruit lovers might find it delicious - Old Fashioned: its good but there is an odd cinnamon aftertaste, gonna try top shelf version - Mojito: tried without letting sit, was still fairly decent - Lemon Bubbly: to citrusy and bubbly for me... personal distaste not necessarily the pod NOT TRIED YET - Rose Spritzer NOPE, NOPE, NOPE - Classic Margarita: very bitter taste, not really tart at all, go strawberry or Herradura - Chocolate Negroni: tastes like bad nyquil with an overdose of bitters, bleh... ok watered down ALOTHope that helps. Happy drinking!!