ABC Regulations: What You Need to Know

Is self-serve alcohol legal in your state? Find out how iPourIt self-pour beverage technology complies with ABC regulations here.

The self-serve concept is a new and exciting market to be a part of. As with anything that involves alcohol, a new concept comes with legalities and regulations. Fortunately, iPourIt self-pour beverage technology has a feature that prevents over-consumption. Our technology and operators have helped put the self-serve concept on the map, making self-serve alcohol legal in many states.

It’s estimated that self-serve beverage technology is operating in well over 340 locations nationwide at the time this document was written. Self-serve alcohol and iPourIt self-pour beverage technology is currently legal and available in 44 U.S. States. Those include:

ABC Regulations Q & A’s

Q: Who is the iPourIt self-serve technology best suited for?

A: iPourIt self-serve technology is most suited for bar patrons who are interested in sampling different varieties of craft beers and wines. This technology is not for the “getting heavily intoxicated” type of bar patron. It’s used by operators whose patrons prefer to choose from and sample a wide variety of unique craft beers in small quantities. It provides beer enthusiasts the opportunity to purchase samples of beer in quantities (as small as a single ounce) so there’s no need to commit to a full pint of a brew they’ve never tried—thus taking the risk out of trying something new.

Q: How does iPourIt self-pour beverage technology prevent overconsumption?

A: U.S. States have laws to ensure responsible consumption of alcohol. The iPourIt self-serve beverage dispense technology is designed with safety measures built in to ensure it is used in a safe and enjoyable manner. The technology requires a patron to have a government ID with 2D stripe to be scanned and age-verified. After age verification, patrons are paired with a unique RFID device in the form of a card or wristband. The patron uses this personal RFID device to control the beer or wine taps during their sampling experience.

The iPourIt self-serve beverage dispense technology is designed to objectively and automatically discontinue service of a patron upon reaching 32oz of beer, 10 oz of wine or mixed drinks, or 3oz of liquor. In most cases, these mandated limits are stricter and more regulated than traditional bar service. With iPourIt’s self-serve technology, each patron’s RFID device is automatically shut off once they have poured the limit. The patron must then check in with a manager or employee to be reactivated for more ounces based on the jurisdiction regulations. This built-in and objective feature promotes responsible consumption.

Q: What if a patron walks away with an RFID device?

A: The iPourIt technology is also designed to automatically suspend an RFID device at the end of each day to ensure taps cannot be used by an unauthorized patron at a future date and time. The technology also shuts down at closing time to ensure an objective “last call” is enforced. A patron’s RFID device may also be shut off from the manager’s workstation.

Q: What if we want to give free samples to patrons?

A: In most U.S. States, it’s illegal for an operator to provide free samples of alcohol to patrons. iPourIt self-serve draft systems eliminates this practice and instead, creates a transaction for every ounce poured. It also enables sampling of many products, one at a time, without over-consumption.

iPourIt technology is designed to be flexible and may be programmed with objective rules for each individual operator in order to adhere to local laws.

If you have any specific questions regarding iPourIt self-serve beverage technology, we’re happy to schedule a quick call. You can contact us here! Find the printable version of this document here.