Have you ever wondered how self-pour beer walls are legal? It’s crazy to think that back in the day putting a pitcher of beer on a table for customers to drink out of was completely legal, but allowing customers to pour straight from a tap was not. Fast forward to today and self-pour beer is approved in almost all 50 states. There are essentially three laws you must abide by when serving alcohol in your venue:

1. No Alcohol Sale by Vending Machine – A vending machine is defined as an apparatus that dispenses products in exchange for legal tender. This is why the use of RFID is so prevalent with self-pour systems as it is not actually legal tender. To pour from a tap, a customer must first present a form of RFID issued to them by a staff member. During a transaction for an alcoholic beverage, there also must be some sort of age verification which brings us to the next law…
2. Underage Consumption – It is illegal to serve alcohol to a minor. IDs must be checked to verify patrons are of age to consume alcohol. Before customers can receive an RFID card for a self-pour system, a staff must check their ID. If a venue has both alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic beverages on their tap wall, underage patrons can be issued an underage RFID card that only allows them access to the non-alcoholic taps.
3. Overconsumption – It is illegal to serve an overly intoxicated person and/or make available an unreasonable quantity of alcohol to any one person at one time. Most states deem two drinks a reasonable quantity of alcohol to make available. Two drinks are equivalent to 32 ounces of beer. With a self-pour system, associated with each RFID card is a dispense limit. Every 32 ounces of beer a patron pours, their RFID card will deactivate, and they will be cut off. To pour another 32 ounces, guests must see a staff member who can assess their sobriety and then reset their limit so they can responsibly consume another 32 ounces. Self-pour systems must maintain human intervention throughout the entire drinking process and ensure constant engagement between guests and staff. A dispense multiplier can be applied to higher ABV beverages. For example, if a patron pours 10 ounces of wine, their limit will be reached.

Whether you sell your beer through a bartender or a self-pour system, it’s extremely important that you do so legally and responsibly. A venue operating a self-pour model has enhanced visibility of exactly how much each patron has consumed. Every ounce that is poured is recorded. If staff need to cut off a troublesome patron, they don’t have to worry about a potential verbal or physical altercation. All they have to do is disable their RFID card with a click of a button. Many state alcohol departments see the self-pour model as a safer way to monitor drinking within an establishment.

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Table Tap is the first company worldwide to market and sell self-service draft beer technology. Responsible for the launch and proliferation of the Pour Your Own movement in the United States and its “approval” by alcohol authorities in almost all 50 states. Our goal is to innovate and automate taproom operations to improve the bottom line while simultaneously providing the most interactive and engaging customer experience so your patrons come back time and time again.

Table Tap provides solutions for breweries and taprooms across the country. In addition to our flagship WallTender and TableTender self-pour technology, Table Tap also offers draft systems and its own in-house POS system to provide operators with the most turnkey solution on the market. Table Tap is driven by innovation and continues to use the most up-to-date technology within the industry. Cheers, and always remember to #PourYourOwnBeer.