Restaurants

Connecticut becomes 45th state to allow self-serve alcohol technology

Photo courtesy of iPourit Inc.

July 7, 2021

Connecticut is the 45th state to allow self-serve alcohol technology, thanks in part to support from iPourIt Inc., a provider of self-pour alcohol dispensing technology, according to a press release.

Darren Nicholson, vice president of sales and marketing at iPourIt, has been presenting the legislation, S.B. 265, to local government representatives since 2017.

"With over 270 iPourIt locations in operation, and a total of roughly 540 self-pour locations throughout the U.S. alone, self-serve has proven to be a game-changer in the delivery of alcohol and other highly controlled beverages," Nicholson said in the release.

iPourIt's RFID-enabled system records every pour to automatically track each patron's consumption. The self-serve concept also offers a way for operators to increase alcohol revenue, reduce waste, solve labor issues and prevent over-consumption.

In 2019, a group of partners opened Hop & Vine, a self-pour taproom in Connecticut. After discovering that state liquor laws prohibited self-service for alcohol, they partnered with State Representative David Arconti, iPourIt, GS Draft System Solutions and others to help champion the self-pour bill into law.

Now that self-pour is legal, Hop & Vine operators Sakarin Seedasome, Matt Ventura, and Connor Rasmussen are making plans to open their first location in Fairfield County early next year. The taproom will offer 40 taps of local craft beer and 20 taps of wine, homebrewing seminars and tapas-style fare.