Press
‘Tale of the tap: Pour your own adventure’
The Baltimore Sun, 2010-09-07. A Parkton man had an idea that even the casual beer drinker would appreciate: What if you could draw your own frothy pint at the local pub? Turns out, perhaps not surprisingly, that someone across the Atlantic already had the same idea. So when Josh Goodman discovered he had a kindred entrepreneurial spirit in Ireland, he teamed with the small company there to introduce Americans to the Draft Table this year. The mobile table fitted with beer taps is designed to let bar patrons draw their own brews and can be found in establishments in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Las Vegas. Tir Na Nog, an Irish pub at the Inner Harbor, has one. Text BUSINESS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun business news text alerts "It's a great idea," said Peters Kokalari, Tir Na Nog's manager and co-owner. "It's something people have never seen before. It's quite a success." How the Draft Table tables came to market in the United States and Europe is a tale of local enterprise, international trade and the transformation of an Irish company's business model during a deep recession — a makeover that could mean jobs in the United States. The Draft Table could become a regular fixture in bars, especially as global conglomerate Diageo, the world's largest beer, wine and spirits company, has put its marketing muscle behind it. Diageo, based in London, has bought 900 of the tables, which typically feature Diageo's Guinness beer, for use in more than 250 pubs across Ireland. Ellickson International, the Waterford, Ireland-based company that makes the Draft Table, is advertising the table as an efficient dispenser of beer that encourages camaraderie in pub and restaurant settings. It's starting to sell them in markets across Europe and is preparing to enter Asia. Its U.S. office is in Annapolis. "It's a unique hook," said Charlie Kleinrichert, president of A.C. Beverage, an Annapolis-based beer-equipment distributor that partnered with Ellickson to sell the Draft Table in the U.S. "It's an opportunity for bars to set themselves apart. Everybody is looking for tools to improve the marketability of their establishment." With the recession, bars and restaurants might be looking for novelties and new ways to attract consumers. Projected food and drink sales in bars and taverns is expected to climb a slim 2 percent this year to $18.8 billion, from $18.5 billion last year, according to a National Restaurant Association forecast. Annual per-capita consumption of beer dropped 1 gallon last year, to 29.5 gallons, from 30.5 gallons or more in previous years, according to the Beer Institute, an industry lobbying group. The Draft Table makes it easy for a consumer to buy beer on demand. The table features two taps that swivel 360 degrees. A digital meter on the taps keeps track of the amount that's drawn. Up to two different kinds of beers can be poured. Underneath the table, which is wide enough for at least eight people to stand around, is a complex cooling system that can keep each beer keg (two per table) chilled at precise temperatures. The table, taps and cooling system costs $7,850, and the separate wireless computer that controls it goes for nearly $2,000. "That's the beautiful thing: There's no waste on this thing," said Stuart Delves, general manager of The Gas Station, a restaurant outside Harrisburg, Pa., that has two tables. "Every ounce of alcohol that comes out of it is accounted for." The tables are getting good use at Tir Na Nog and The Gas Station, especially during special events and ball games, where patrons can reserve the tables to drink for hours. It can be better than standing at a packed bar trying to get a bartender's or a server's attention, the company contends. Local beer laws in most places, including in Baltimore, don't allow for people to pay for beer out of a vending machine, and the Draft Table can't be considered one because it doesn't accept payments, company officials say. Instead, users of the Draft Table have to pay separately for the beer; each drinker is allowed to pour only up to two beers at a time, with a server having to authorize the next round. The Draft Table was invented by Philip Brady, an Irishman and former pub owner who licensed his idea to Ellickson, which specializes in construction and engineering work. When Ellickson started selling the tables with Brady in 2007, its original business had nearly ground to a halt during the recession in Ireland, Brady said. "We're a company that has been entrenched in engineering, and everything that we did was with the construction industry," said Brady, Ellickson's technical director. "Now, our electronics are aimed at the hospitality industry." Brady said the biggest selling point of the Draft Table is that "every drop that comes out of the tap gets paid for." There's no spillage waste, and no bartender to hand out free beers to friends, he said. Ellickson was looking for ways to enter the United States and had sold a couple of tables on the East Coast when its officials were introduced to Goodman, a 31-year-old Parkton man, by Kleinrichert. For years, Goodman had been working on fine-tuning and selling his own beer-tap table systems in the Baltimore area, and had familiarized himself with liquor laws in several states. Goodman liked Ellickson's Draft Table and its refined technology and jumped aboard the company earlier this year. Over a four-day period, executives from Ellickson came to Baltimore and incorporated a U.S. division. Ellickson's U.S. office is now in a part of a warehouse owned by A.C. Beverage. As Draft Table sales in the U.S. ramp up, Goodman said, Ellickson could create seven to 10 new jobs in the United States to support the sales and distribution of the tables. "Maybe in 20 years, it will be the norm where you go into a bar and have the ability to pour your own beer," Brady said. Download PDF
‘Self-Service Beer Has Big Debut At Littlest Bar’
The Boston Herald, 2010-08-04. It’s like every guy’s dream, Keith Mahoney said yesterday at The Littlest Bar in Boston. “You get to go to a bar and pour your own drink,” Mahoney, 34, said. “I’ve never seen another place offer something like this.” If you fancy yourself a bartender, or always wanted to pull your own pint of Guinness, check out the newest in self-service beer gadgetry at the Financial District watering hole. The Broad Street bar is the first in Massachusetts to install the Draft Table, a tabletop tap system made in Ireland that lets bar-goers pour their own drafts. Ellickson International installed the two-tap mobile version at The Littlest Bar yesterday, with Guinness and Smithwick’s kegs hooked into the self-contained table unit that controls the flow, temperature and gas mixture. Bar owner Paddy Grace believes customers will be intrigued by the novelty of the system, with its illuminated taps and LCD screen that shows how many pints are poured. “What I like about it is when you walk into a bar and see it, you’re interested right away, and say, ‘What the heck is this?’ ” Grace said. “It’s an eye-catcher.” Customers who want to use the Draft Table give their credit card to a bartender just as they would to open a regular bar tab. The bartender swipes a magnetic card through a point-of-sale system behind the bar to open the wirelessly connected table-mounted taps so customers can begin pouring. The Draft Table launched in Ireland in 2009 when Guinness owner Diageo contracted Ellickson to install the units in 300-plus bars as part of its “Pour Your Own Pint” campaign. The company has sold 30 units in the United States in the last 2 months at a cost of about $10,000 for the first table and system, which can service additional tables. To prevent over-indulgences, bartenders preset the system to “pause” after each person at the table has had two drinks. After checking on the table, they can then decide whether to resume the Draft Table’s operation or shut off the customers. Grace isn’t worried that drinkers of Guinness - the bar’s best-selling keg beer - tend to be the fussiest about getting a properly poured pint of the stout. Bartenders will instruct customers on how to use the Draft Table. “The consumer who loves Guinness can come and get the perfect pint and experience the perfect pour themselves,” said Una Colohan, a Diageo distribution manager on hand for the installation. Download PDF
‘Prime Meridian: Meridian Pint opens in Columbia Heights’
Washington Post: Gog Blog, 2010-07-01. Meridian Pint, the new Columbia Heights beer bar opened by John Andrade (the owner of Asylum) makes its grand debut at 11th Street and Park Road tonight. Though it has tons of potential, it's obviously way too early to write a full review, but not too soon to tell you a few things you should know about the place. It's huge. There are two floors, each with a large bar. The upstairs (at street level) has plenty of restaurant seating, as well as communal dining and bar tables. Sections of the wall roll up like garage doors to let evening breezes in. (Meridian Pint opens nightly at 5 unless there's a World Cup game on, in which case it's open early.) Downstairs is incredibly open and airy. There's room to walk between tables and booths, meaning you don't feel like you're crushed, even when the place is crowded, as it was at last night's neighborhood open house. My friends -- Columbia Heights residents -- and I are convinced that it won't be long before this is one of the most popular bars in the neighborhood. There are two pool tables ($5 per person per hour) and shuffleboard. But the real attraction is two semi-circular booths with tap handles set into the middle of the table. Yes, there are two tables where you can pour your own beer. Give a credit card to the server, choose your beer on a touchscreen on the tap, and pour away while the computer in the tap keeps track of your tab and how many ounces of beer you've served yourself. (There are no refunds if you spill or fill your glass with foam, so pay attention.) It's a very cool idea, and quicker than fighting your way to the bar, ordering a beer and waiting for a bartender to bring it to you. Just watch your tab, because the novelty can add up. Also, servers will periodically come over to make sure you're not pouring yourself into a drunken stupor or doing anything stupid. No reservations can be made for these special booths, though that will happen in the future. If the tables are occupied, a server can put your name on a waiting list. Meridian Pint's theme is that it offers an all-American beer list, watched over by Sam Fitz, formerly of Churchkey and the Reef. There are 24 drafts, ranging from top-flight microbrews (the Bruery, Allagash, Lagunitas, Stone) to Miller Lite and PBR. Most pints are in the $5 to $7 range. A limited selection of 750 mL bottles includes treats like the Green Peppercorn Tripel from Baltimore's Brewers Art for $18. The bar also plans to have a full cask beer program. For the first week, they'll be tapping firkins from Baltimore's Oliver Brewery. Opening night brings a traditional English-style Extra Special Bitter that has been dry-hopped with English Kent Golding hops. A different cask-conditioned beer will be offered every night for the first week for $6 a pint. Food will be served until 11 p.m. for the first few weeks, and eventually the kitchen will be open until an hour before last call. The menu is a hearty selection of burgers, half smokes and short ribs, though there are also numerous vegetarian and vegan offerings. (Asylum is known for its meatless menu and brunch.) Brunch service will start in two or three weeks, Andrade says, with a 10 a.m. opening on Saturday and Sunday. -- Fritz Hahn
‘A Night With Self-Serve Beer’
Philadelphia Weekly: By Mark Maurer, 2010-06-29. Should Philadelphians be legally allowed to serve themselves alcohol from the tap at a bar? Tir Na Nog’s new hands-on craze comes with a greater burden of responsibility. I picture—for PG audiences with an “X” sharpied on the back of their hands—some guy open-mouthed under a slushie machine until he succumbs to brain-freeze. For the 21-plus crowd, it sounds like a damn near mobocracy of incorrigible automatons guzzling booze, the ramifications of which could amount to greater detriment than a headache or departed brain cells. Self-serve could very well promote anarchic levels of alcohol consumption, but the current system of a digital counter and a waiter’s warning maintains control. The portable Draft Table, as it’s called, seats up to eight people, typically dispensing Guinness and Danish beer Carlsberg. A 20-ounce Imperial pint costs $6.50. The bar isn’t sweating a return on the investment. In six months, at a rate of two kegs sold per week, the bar expects the $10,000 it spent on Draft Table to be paid in full. Adorned with artistically carved metal inscribed with the Arth Guinness insignia, the Draft Table is a fancy addition to a bar that’s arguably a league above its classification as Irish pub. Below the round wooden plank is the Draft Table’s chemistry set—two kegs, a glycol unit, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and a gas blender. Irish company Ellickson International—which from its website seems to cater exclusively to drowsy rugby players—manufactured the machine. Ellickson has teamed up with Guiness parent company Diageo to install about 300 in Ireland and so forth. It’s the first of its kind in America, Tir Na Nog bar manager Ken Merriman claims, though in the past two years select food-and-drink joints in Chicago, Atlanta and other places in Georgia unveiled similar tabletop taps. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board isn’t sure just how many of these will be cropping up statewide, but self-serve is permissible as long as the establishment adheres to the general code’s prohibition of serving to minors and the visibly intoxicated. Bars don’t need a separate license, the Board says. On a recent Friday, I stopped by to casually drink with my friends at the bar’s sole self-serve table, which sparked tension and competition from onlookers. Points and stares were sent our direction. A gaggle of bros with soccer fever and American flag bandanas fastened around their buzzed heads plotted to overtake our stools, flat-out demanding it to the hostess. Draft Table is a smash in Ireland, where it has excelled as a social lubricant among ebullient strangers. But it seems to create animosity or ambivalence here. Aside from the conniving, angry bros, no one thought to approach us or join in. You’d think the waitstaff would be up in arms about Draft Table. After all, if you can serve yourself, you don’t need them, and tips plummet. But curiosity and grapevine gossip have kept the waitstaff’s tip stack alive and well. Waitress Kate Soloff says she talks to patrons even more than usual, in order to explain just how it all works. To save yourself money, turn to your mathematician friend who can crunch numbers when soused. The digital readout keeping track of how much you’ve imbibed—a decimal figure to the nearest hundredth—equates 1.00 to about 20 ounces. The wait staff rounds up to the nearest pint if your figure is more than halfway to the next whole number. To squeeze out an extra pint, taper off your last brew at .49. Jason Harris, owner of Keystone Homebrew Supply in Montgomeryville and sponsor of the Philly Beer Geek competition every year, bailed on an invite to see what the fuss was about, decrying the lack of selection on tap. If Harris had it his way, patrons could call ahead to request an on-tap selection. Harris’ cult picks for self-serve selection during a Philly summer: Troegs Flying Mouflan, Yards Brawler and Sly Fox. Sure, an old-school beer elitist and Luddite who pines for classier, craftier suds could view this tableside toy as a distraction. But, if self-serve doesn’t put barkeeps out of a job, doesn’t take a bite out of waiters’ tips, and can thrive without prescribing mayhem, then perhaps it could be a neigh-beer-hood boon. http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/A-Night-With-Self-Serve-Beer.html
‘Pour It Yourself’
NBC Philadelphia: By Jennifer Brehm, 2010-06-11. Most people go to bars to be served, not to serve themselves. But one bar in Philly is trying out the self-serve style, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Tir na Nog – an Irish pub in the Phoenix building – has the first self-service, two-tap beer bar in the city. It’s kind of like self-service soda machines without the free refills. You don’t just get to pay for the glass and get as much beer as you want. Each time you fill your pint glass, you’re charged $6.50, just like buying it from the bar. A perk for the customers is that there’s no one to tip if they’re serving themselves, but that’s a downside for the bar. However, waitresses say they haven’t seen a dip in tips because customers tend to order food with their beer and tip on the whole bill. Print Share Buzz up! retweet 0diggsdigg beer on tap AP Most people go to bars to be served, not to serve themselves. But one bar in Philly is trying out the self-serve style, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Tir na Nog – an Irish pub in the Phoenix building – has the first self-service, two-tap beer bar in the city. It’s kind of like self-service soda machines without the free refills. You don’t just get to pay for the glass and get as much beer as you want. Each time you fill your pint glass, you’re charged $6.50, just like buying it from the bar. A perk for the customers is that there’s no one to tip if they’re serving themselves, but that’s a downside for the bar. However, waitresses say they haven’t seen a dip in tips because customers tend to order food with their beer and tip on the whole bill. Philly's Best Beers Philly's Best Beers LOOK Philly's Best Beers Drink Beer, Avoid Beer Gut Drink Beer, Avoid Beer Gut LOOK Drink Beer, Avoid Beer Gut The Draft Table -- as its Irish manufacturer Ellickson International calls it -- seats six to eight people and cost Tir na Nog $10,000. One tap serves Guinness, the other Carlsberg. $10,000 may seem a little pricy, but a sales representative for the Draft Table says it will pay for itself in six months if the self-service bar sells only two kegs a week, reports the Inquirer. The Master also has a digital readout so both staff and customers know exactly how much is going into the glass. “I’d prefer a professional pourer, but it might not be as much fun,” Local beer expert Don Russell (a.k.a Joe Sixpack) told the Inky. Check it out for yourself. Tir na Nog is located at 16th and Arch in the Phoenix building. Before you go -- practice pouring your pint here.
