Alan has finally surrendered and bought an iPhone. He then, naturally, asks if there are any beery apps he could purchase.
I have been thinking about this as well, and as I’ve played with my iPhone for some months I have looked at a few beer apps. The ones I have found most interesting are connected to travel. Or, more precisely, geography. This means I don’t have much I can use here in Norway. But the ones I have found give you an idea of what to expect.
Fancyapint is based on the London web site of the same name, allowing you to find pubs on the map, read reviews and meet up with friends there. In an ideal world it would have updates about the beers on offer in the pubs, but this is a fine starting point.
FrankenBIER is an official beer guide to Franconia, the most beery region in Bavaria. It covers brewpubs, breweries, brewery museums, suggests travel routes etc. Well laid out with maps, satellite photos and background articles. My version is German, I’d be surprised if there isn’t an English version on the way.
In Copenhagen Nørrebro Bryghus has an app that shows you which beers they currently have on tap. They could have added a bit more – why not the food menu and a list of bottled beers? I think this is an example of how this can be done cheaply and simply. But I would not fill up my phone or pad with many of these.
There are, of course, lots more out there. I am still waiting for proper ratebeer and BeerAdvocate apps.
There’s “Ratebeer” app, a good handy database to keep track of all the beers you’ve tasted and make personal lists. Database works without internet connection which is useful if you want to avoid roaming costs abroad. Shows just info such as beer name, ABV, and average ratings. The app is quite “basic” and however the database is sadly no longer updated since July 2010.
“Beerbuddy” is a new recent App who’s also using the ratebeer database and works only with internet connection. It has nice news and events section (mostly US) and for each beer gives you direct access on what you’ll find on Ratebeer website. Does not come for free, though.
“Craft beer” is dedicated to the US scene. It’s a promising App, but lots of work and contents to be added, yet.
Brewgene is also a fairly good “Ratebeer” app. It gives you a “Beer cellar” where the beers you have rated is stored. It has more functionality but i use it mostly to keep track of the beers i’ve tasted.
Obviously British based, but the Good Beer Guide is also available as an app.
There are a ton of iphone beer apps out there… check out http://frankenmuthbrewery.com/blog/brewery/iphone-beer-app-awards/ for a more comprehensive list!