Anyone who’s ever dropped their shiny, sleek smart phone into a pint would argue that handheld technology and beer don’t mix. Well, we’ve got three apps that will make you re-think your position (ideologically and physically – moral of the story: don’t text over your drink!).
A social network centred on beer, this app is a brilliant way to link up with other amber-enthusiasts and lager-lovers. Like any good party, though, it needs a crowd to get kicking, and while it’s had a decent amount of success Stateside, there are still a few tumbleweeds rolling around for Aussie users.
Still, once you get a few mates to sign up you can check in (à la FourSquare) and rate different watering holes and beers. The best part about it is that instead of sending out a dozen ‘out tonight? Fancy a drink?’ texts, you can simply open the app and see where your tribe is drinking*.
*Potentially a problem if you’re trying to ditch a clinger-on.
Considering you could buy yourself a bottle and a half of James Squire One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale at the bottle shop for the price of the app, it’s a big investment to make, but if you decide to take the plunge you’ll find a wealth of information awaits. You might like to wait until another update is released (it could really benefit from some images of the beers), but even as it stands the app lists over 500 Aussie beers and 220 specialist beer venues, including boutique breweries. That’s a lot of on-the-go drinkspiration.
Again, this app has a high price point but MUCH more bang for your buck. Not only can you use the barcode scanner to scan your case/beer to find out information about the beer (including user reviews), you can also use the search function to find a good pint based on best reviews, seasonal favourites and the top beer in each country.
It’s a traveller’s best friend, using location services to recommend bars, breweries or beers, and it might one day help you achieve that long-held dream of drinking the best beer in every country you travel to. Your ‘beer-it list’, if you will.
