Self pour draft system hits WV

Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the West Virginia craft beer market, Denise and Karl Wagenbrenner pull off a huge innovation.

Denise & Karl installed the state’s first automated, self-pour beer tap system. The system is located at the couple’s latest venture, Crust Pizza Bistro in downtown Berkeley Springs, WV. The bistro features an automated, eight-tap, self-serve system from iPourIt. The Wagenbrenners are also the founders and operators of Berkeley Springs Brewing Company (BSBC).

Self-pour now legal

In West Virginia, self-service beer taps just became legal a few months back. When the Wagenbrenners learned of the new option, they jumped on it.

While the equipment required for the taps is expensive, they were attracted to its operational advantages. It was these advantages that encouraged them to open Crust Pizza Bistro. They also realized the benefits they could accrue from expanding the availability of BSBC beer. Crust Pizza would become a de facto second taproom for the brewery.

Denise and Karl are no strangers to breaking new ground in their industry. They have always been two of the more experimental and innovative folks in our state’s craft brewing community.

Automated, user-friendly

The process for getting your beer at Crust Pizza works a bit differently from what folks are used to at the traditional bar or restaurant. Here’s how it works:

To use the self-service taps, a customers first visits the Drink Attendant to open a restaurant tab using their credit card and to have their age verified. They then are issued an RFID chip card/fob and beer glass by the attendant.

The RFID card enables the customer to self-pour beer from the eight taps on the self-service iPourIt draft system. Each tap tower has its own touch screen with descriptions and pricing of the beer on its taps.

The draft system records pours and prices each beer by the ounce. Any mix of pours the customer pulls from the iPourIt kiosk will be electronically recorded and charged to the customer’s beer tab.

Since all beer is charged by the ounce, if you only want a little sample or a full pint, no problem. This flexibility allows customers to buy only the amount they want.

When a customer sees a beer that is new to them, they are encouraged to pour a small taste before committing to a full pour. The system encourages sampling and helps customers learn about beer styles.

For instance, an adventurous customer could pour 4 ounces from each of four different taps. Think of it as a way to make your own beer flight. Customers may request clean glassware, as needed.

However, once the system records 32 ounces of beer poured by a customer, it will not allow that individual to pour more beer during that visit, unless the customer goes back to the beverage attendant to add an additional 16 oz. pour authorization to their tab. This is not a restaurant devised rule, but is a West Virginia ABCA state requirement for self-pouring systems.

The self-pour limits and supervision are there to prevent over-serving. At Crust Pizza Bistro’s iPourIt installation, the customer is allowed to buy a maximum of three pints of beer during any one visit. While some folks may not like this limit, our guess is that the vast majority of customers will be fine with a three pint limit.

Self-pour system benefits

According to the iPourIt company, their system offers several benefits to the restaurant operator. Beyond over-serving protections, it gives greater control over pours and reduces beer waste. This creates more revenue for the restaurant. The software that controls the iPourIt system also produces many detailed reports, which give restaurant operators the data they need to make smart decisions on their overall draft beer service.

The automated self-pour system reduces bar staffing requirements and enhances quality of service. No longer do customers have to seek out and wait for a server or for a bar staffer to pour their beer. The system improves beer sales efficiency, controls portions, reduces beer loss, and helps bring greater profitability to the restaurant operator.

Many other states allow this form of beer service and it is growing rapidly in popularity. It is good to see West Virginia joining in. The WV Legislature adopted the enabling legislation during the 2025 regular session, and the WVABCA later authorized self-pour systems by issuing regulations.

West Virginia law now allows beer, cider, and wine—in limited amounts—to be offered through automated self-serve systems at duly licensed private clubs. It should be interesting to see how quickly other private club licensees in the state adopt this system of beer, cider, and wine service.

The Wagenbrenners credit passage of the self-pour legislation with encouraging their investment in the new pizza restaurant.

Other automations at Crust Pizza

In addition to beer service, Crust also offers food ordering automations. In the restaurant entry area are two food ordering kiosks that customers use to quickly enter their own pizza and other food orders for dine-in or take-out.

Once the food order is prepared, it comes out to the food counter for pickup. The restaurant attendant alerts patrons by name and order number when their food is ready. This operational model is very much in line with other common, counter-serve restaurants.

Crust Pizza’s menu offers artisan pizza, bistro sandwiches, fries, appetizers, soup, salad, and hand-dipped gelato. Customers get their beverages from the Drink Attendant who handles beverage sales for bottled/canned wine, cider, sodas, NAs, and water. All food and non-beer beverages are paid for when their order is placed.

Breaking new ground in WV

The Wagenbrenners realize that they are breaking new ground with their automated food & beverage operation, and they are learning as they go. Due to its use of new technology, touch screens, RFID fobs, and such, they have found that the self-service beer system is not for everyone.

Folks under the age of 30 generally have no issues and love it, but some older, less tech-savvy customers may find the system to be less customer-friendly than they are used to with traditional beer service establishments. While the drink attendants do not serve beer, they are always on hand to help guide folks through using the self-pour beer system and to answer customer questions about the beers on tap.

The Crust Pizza business model does not employ food and beverage servers, such as those typically found in traditional restaurants and bars. However, the restaurant does accommodate customers with medical/physical disabilities. Kitchen staff may run dine-in food orders directly to their table. Drink attendants also make rounds in the dining room to see if anything else is needed.

Mechanics of Self-Pour Beer at Crust Pizza

Step 1.  Beer customers first go see the Drink Attendant at the counter. Using the house POS system, the attendant opens the customer a tab and puts their credit card info on file, attached to the tab. The attendant also verifies the customer’s age by scanning their Drivers License or government-issued ID card. The attendant then issues the customer a unique Crust Pizza RFID fob/card, which is electronically connected to their tab, and also gives them a chilled beer glass. 

Step 2.  The customer walks over to the beer service kiosk. Using the fob/card, they tap the kiosk tablet touch screen to activate the tablet showing the beer they want. Then they tap with their finger their beer selection. They can then pour from the tap selected.

Step 3.  The customer pours the amount of beer they want into their glass.  All pricing is set by the ounce. The system records the ounces poured and calculates cost based on the set per-ounce price listed at the kiosk. The cost of the pour is recorded to the customer’s beer tab.

Per WVABCA required limits, only 32 ounces are allowed to be poured before requiring the customer to revisit the attendant to request an additional 16 oz. pour. A maximum of three pints are allowed to be sold through the self-pour system to a customer during any one visit.

Step 4.  When the customer finishes their beer and are ready to leave, they go back to the attendant/cashier. They close out the fob/card which transfers the amount charged for the beer pours to their restaurant tab to be closed out. The customer has the option of paying with the credit card on file, with cash, or with another card. 

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Crust Pizza Bistro
42 Independence St.
Berkeley Springs, WV

Link to Crust Pizza Bistro facebook page
Link to the iPourIt tap system website 
Berkeley Springs Brewing facebook page