As complex a device as it is, the Beer Bottle Organ is actually a very old invention. When Gary Rickert decided to make an organ that used bottles to create notes, he had no idea that someone had tried it 200 years ago. The pastor of the church on the island of Helgoland apparently got tired of paying for an organ tuner to sail out every month, so he commissioned an organ builder to make one that wouldn't go out of tune. Johann Samuel Kühlewein soon created the world's first bottle organ… until 1998. Tha's when Rickert made his version.

The design positions everyday beer bottles so each one is right next to a small air pump. A keyboard up front controls the pumps, and, yeah, the liquid inside really does determine the sound that comes out. But it's not beer — the design uses mineral oil so it doesn't evaporate. Check out the variety of designs in the gallery below.

The Beer Bottle Organ is really an amazing achievement in instrument design. If you want one, you'll have to get it custom made, but as conversation pieces go, it's tough to beat.

Via Peterson Tuners