Pick out the perfect beer app to pair with your beer-loving habits.
Step aside wine, beer has made its place in the world of appreciated alcohol. Brewing, including micro-brewing, has truly become an art form in the past two decades, opening up beer to consumers who may not have appreciated it in its previous form. Going a step further, there are now apps available to help you find new beers, learn more about beers, or find out where you should get your next pour from the tap. Deciding what kind of app you should have depends a lot on what your beer needs are. Thankfully, we have broken it down to make it easy for you.
What’s in the Brew?
At a lot of breweries, you will get a cheat sheet of sorts that will list out the alcohol content of each type of beer available. Unfortunately, if you are getting beer from a different establishment, you may be wondering what the content of the beer is. One of the most comprehensive apps you are going to find out there is the BJCP Styles app, which is actually a copy of the BJCP Style Guidelines in app form. Whether you are a serious beer enthusiast, homebrewer, or even a beer judge, BJCP Styles has all of the information you could need, broken down by individual types of brew. It may be a little excessive though if you’re really just looking at where a beer is from and its alcohol content.
Similar to BJCP Styles, Next Glass gives you the option to see the actual chemical makeup of a beer as well as seeing what the beer’s ratings are. One nice perk that Next Glass has that sets it apart is that it will learn your likes through your tasting profile which can then give you personalized recommendations and let you know whether you are likely to enjoy a new type of beer. You can rate the ones you have tried as well, which is helpful in any of the beer apps.
Any Beer ABV has been listed as one of the best apps on the market to give you a breakdown of the alcohol content of the beer as well as which brewery the beer came from. Another app that offers a similar feature is that of Beer Buddy, which will let you scan a can, bottle, or case directly to find out all of the detailed information about any given brew. This is a definite perk when you are at a party or social gathering and want to know more about the beer that you are going to try or already have tried. Beer Buddy will also tell you where you can find any given brew, letting you know what stores or restaurants have it ready for you.
Like the other apps, RateBeer will let you scan a barcode and find out any information about a beer you would like to know. RateBeer goes one step further, however, and lets you find out what other people think about a brew while giving you the option of sharing your own opinion about a beer. This will give you a good idea what to expect about a beer before you commit to it.
Shopping for Beer
Thankfully with the advancement of technology, you can find the beers that you want easier than ever before. Drizly is not limited to just beer, but also offers solutions for wine and liquor, letting you find and order the alcohol that you want through local stores, saving you the legwork of trying to find or gather what you need. You will still need to get up and go to the store and drink it yourself.
Social Media Apps
While many people will use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to share drinks that they are enjoying, if you want a dedicated place to know where the best drinks are at, Barly is the solution. Barly lets its users check-in and rate what’s on tap while giving a message board to let fellow beer enthusiasts chat about where the best brews are to be found. It also lets you keep track of the drinks that you have already tried and the ones you liked best. If you’re lost for which beer to taste, you can read detailed tasting notes as well to know more about the tap list available so you always try a beer you will love. The best rated app when it comes to beer, however, is Untappd. Untappd will let you track down ratings of beers located all around you as well as giving you the option of keeping track of the beers you already tried and what you thought about them. It is especially helpful if you are not sure where you should grab your next drink. Through the help of other members you can find the right bar with the right beer that you have been looking for. If there is one app you need for your phone, Untappd should be your only choice.
Beer Mapping
Sometimes all you may need in a beer app is to know where you should be going. A lot of the other apps may offer the option of finding a place to drink, but they also come full of a lot of other information you might not need. Enter the beer mapping apps. The apps Taphunter and BreweryMap offer you the option of finding out what beers are at the pubs and bars near you, which is especially helpful when you are out of town or in an unfamiliar area. By setting your location, the apps will help you navigate what the places around you are like and which location might have the kind of beers that you are looking for.
What App is Ideal?
Now that you have seen our breakdown of the different beer apps out there, you should have a better idea of the best app for your personal use and your beer tasting. Whether you are a serious homebrewer or a beer enthusiast, one of these useful apps is sure to make your beer enjoyment easier than ever before.
