It will come as no surprise, but Saint Patrick’s Day is the biggest beer-drinking day of the year in many cities across the United States.

One Nielsen survey found that beer sales on Saint Patrick’s Day in Chicago rose by 221% on the previous weekend’s figures.

But the real question for beer drinkers looking to raise a glass to Ireland’s patron saint is simple: how do you get served when the bar you’re standing in is packed and you’re surrounded by countless other thirsty revellers?

The answer, for a growing number of American establishments, is through clever use of technology.

While many US breweries have employed a range of smart technology measures for years now—from IntelligentX, the first beer brewed using AI algorithms to tailor the recipe to ever-evolving consumer tastes, to electronic beer flights connected to an app that allow patrons to register their beer preferences in real time—it’s an arguably simpler idea that’s having the biggest impact.

Self-serve beer taps.

Created by CEO and founder Josh Goodman in Chicago, PourMyBeer has pioneered the development of self-pouring beer taps.

Thirsty patrons simply approach the tap wall, touch a registered RFID wristband or card—which generates a range of tasting information—and make their selection. They then simply grab a glass and start pouring.

Best of all, the system only charges by the amount poured—allowing patrons to sample a wide variety of beers without smashing their hip pocket.

Pretty cool, huh?

It’s an increasingly popular method of securing a drink in some of America’s thirstiest cities—even if there’ll always be room for a good old-fashioned bartender.

Could you see it working in Australia? Let us know in the comments… and don’t forget you can follow all the marketing insights from our Saint Patrick’s Day campaign here.

If you’re looking for more reasons to cheer, drop us a line at hello@huntandhawk.com and let’s see how we can work together.