Patrons can now avoid the wait for a bartender at First Draft, Denver’s first standalone self-service bar and kitchen concept, which opened last week in the RiNo neighborhood at 26th and Larimer streets.

First Draft uses iPourIt technology, with taps controlled by tablet computers, allowing patrons to pour beer by the ounce.

The 2,500-square-foot taproom offers 32 craft beers, four wines and two ciders on draft.

“It’s definitely an experience. Our staff is very knowledgeable. We have a cicerone on staff,” First Draft bar owner Mark Slattery said, referring to beer industry equivalent of the wine industry’s sommelier. “First Draft allows you to choose your own adventure, so to speak. You can mix flavors and decide for yourself before committing to a larger pour.”

Once patrons start a tab with a credit card, they are issued an RFID-enabled bracelet that pairs their information to the tab and allows up to 40 ounces of beer to be poured. When that limit is reached, a staff member will have to assess the patron’s sobriety, before allowing up to 24 more ounces of beer to be poured. Wine limits are lower, Slattery said.

First Draft incorporates a range of beers from breweries across the U.S. One-third of beers on draft are from Colorado-based makers, with five to six beers from small breweries.

Pricing for each ounce of beer ranges 31 cents to more than $1.20. During First Draft’s opening weekend, patrons poured about 5 ounces on average from each tap, Slattery said.

Slattery, who operates the blog Denver Beer Guy, said he had long wanted to open a taproom with a unique concept.

“We wanted to differentiate ourselves and came across the iPourIt system,” Slattery said. “We thought it was a great thing to bring to Denver.”

Slattery looked at 17 sites for the taproom but decided to open in the 2601 Larimer retail project because of proximity to other restaurants and the industrial aesthetic of the building.

First Draft features an 800-square-foot patio with a firepit, a mezzanine overlooking the bar area and a full kitchen. The menu was created by executive chef Eric Lee, formerly of Jax Oyster Bar and The Kitchen. The menu consists of small, shareable plates with a unique twist on traditional bar food items, such as sliders, salads, beer cheeses and a craft root beer float featuring Little Man Ice Cream.

Slattery said there are a few self-service concepts around the country that are doing it full scale. NATIV Hotel, at 16th and Wazee streets in Denver, uses the iPourIt technology in Pourtions, its attached restaurant and bar.

“We were modeled after Barrel Republic in San Diego,” he said. “They have really kind of proven the concept there. There are a few other ones popping up, but we are definitely one of the largest.”

The iPourIt system was developed in 2009 by Joseph McCarthy and Brett Jones to reduce patrons’ wait time for beer while lowering operating costs for establishments.

“With draft beer, it’s difficult to maintain inventory control,” McCarthy said. “But with the iPourIt system, every drop is being allocated to someone’s tab.”

Clients get a daily report of what their top-pouring beers are, he said.

“They not only know what people are drinking, they know whether they like it,” McCarthy said.

Overall, people seem to embrace the self-service concept, Slattery said.

First Draft customer Jim Spurlin tried it for the first time Monday.

“It was easy to use. I liked the selection and variety,” he said. “The guy that was there to give instructions was very helpful.”

Although people have voiced concerns about eliminating bartending positions because of the iPourIt system, McCarthy said that isn’t the intention.

“The vast majority of a bartender’s time is pouring beers and ringing up tabs,” McCarthy said. “We’re freeing up staff to actually interact with clients on the floor and talk to them about different components of beer that are pouring.”

Amy Edelen: 303-954-1440, aedelen@denverpost.com or twitter.com/amyedelen

This online archive has been edited to reflect that the iPourIt technology also is being used at NATIV Hotel in downtown Denver. (Thursday, July 30, 2015 at 7:50 p.m.)