Which Liquor Dispensing System Should I Use For My Utah Bar? - The ins and outs of Ring Systems, Liquor Guns, and Clickers

The right liquor dispensing setup can make a busy shift smoother, help standardize recipes, and give managers more reliable information about how much liquor is being used.

But there isn't one universal solution for every bar. A high-volume cocktail lounge has different needs from a neighborhood restaurant with a compact bar.

Mechanical clickers

Mechanical clickers are bottle-mounted devices designed to dispense a predetermined amount (between 1oz and 1.5 oz) and count pours. These are a good place to start for a small bar, or brewery that doesn't have a huge selection of liquors. To comply with Utah DABS laws, the mechanical counts on these must be written down at the start and end of the day for each bottle, so this can require a lot of time to log accurate counts if there are a lot of bottles using these.

Clickers ( often referred to as liquor grenades ) are often used as a reliable way to accurately measure thick, sticky, or cold liquors that pour spouts with a ring system can struggle with. They can also be a great solution for mobile, or catering bars where access to power may be limited. 

Explore: Mechanical grenade style clickers

Ring dispensing systems

Ring systems use compatible bottle spouts and an activation mechanism to dispense measured portions. Berg ring systems offer up to 4 pour sizes, with options to pull counts manually off the system, or a computer program to automate nightly counts depending on the system. 

Ring systems are most often used in bars with a with more than 10 liquors, but can work for any bar size. If you are looking for the most complete bar service setup, a combination of gun system and ring system allows for speed and accurate tracking of all your pours. 

With a Berg 704, you can track up to 7 different codes of top (this could be total pour count, price point, or other configurations) with up to 4 pour sizes for each top. 

Berg All Bottle ID (ABID) systems also allow for 4 pour sizes for each top, but they will also allow for up to 200 different brands/liquors to be tracked. This system will display which liquor is being poured so you know exactly how much of each liquor you are using. This simplifies liquor orders, and better prevents liquor theft. 

Either ring system may suit bars that wanting controlled dispensing with more simple count tracking than what clickers require. 

Explore: Berg ring systems

Liquor gun systems

A liquor dispensing gun allows for high speed volume liquor dispensing with consistent measured pours. With available cocktail mode (Berg liquor guns), you are able to pour all the liquors in a drink at the same time with the push of a button. 

Gun systems provide a convenient way to serve liquor from a centralized dispensing arrangement. For a busy operation, this style of setup may help streamline workflow and keep the bar station organized.

Before investing, consider installation requirements, bottle or supply configuration, maintenance, and staff familiarity. Most gun setups will accompany a ring system at each serving station.  

Explore: Berg Liquor Guns

How to choose

The bottom line

Buy for your actual operation, not just the equipment's headline features. A properly selected and maintained system should support both service speed and dependable measurement.

 

For more information on what is required for bars in Utah, please reference the Utah DABS Dispensing Rules