All Hail the Self-Serve Beer Wall at Gun Lake
Michigan recently made it legal for patrons to serve their own alcohol in restaurants - obviously within the rules of the establishment they're in. You can't just go be hind the bar anywhere and pour a drink... they have to allow you to do it.
BUT, there was a place I just discovered, where you already CAN serve yourself. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the WALL OF BEER at Craft Bar Kitchen at Gun Lake Casino!
The new law in Michigan allows bars and restaurants to put in self-serve taps. Those can dispense beer, mixed drinks, and wine directly to the customer. So rather than waiting in line to get your next beer, you simply walk up to the tap, and pour your own.
Unfortunately, this law is relatively new, so many restaurants don't have a self-service setup yet.
For the Craft Bar Kitchen, though, it's already a reality. As of right now, it's only beer, BUT, it's a literal buffet of beer for you to choose from.
"Guests get to sample as many as they'd like. The system charges you per ounce. As you pour, it's charging you. So if you want a full pint, get a full pint, if you want just a taster, you can get a taster. But it really allows the guests to have a unique experience in sampling, you know, beers they've never had, or their favorite beers." - Carter Pavey, Asst. General Manager of Gun Lake Casino
This combines both my childhood and adulthood in one place. On the one hand, I used to go back to the soda fountain time after time after time, getting different drinks every trip, trying different flavors. NOW, I can do it as an adult... WITH BEER!
Granted, I probably won't do with the "wall of beer" what I eventually did at the soda fountain, which was combine ALL the flavors in one glass. Mixing Fanta, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper, probably mixes better than an IPA, Hefeweizen, and a Lager.
As mentioned before, though, Craft Bar Kitchen was ahead of its time in self-service, because it was located on tribal land. And since they've shown it's a model that can work, HOPEFULLY more establishments around the state adopt this AWESOME method of drink service.
Until that time, though... ALL HAIL THE WALL OF BEER AT GUN LAKE!!