App Review: Beer etc

Overview

Beer etc proves that less can be more.  This simple app allows users to rate beers on a five point scale, add notes and tag beers into categories.  Ratings and comments can also be backed up on the apps server.

The app features a search as you type functionality and has a database of almost 75,000 beers.  You can also narrow your search by ‘brewery’, ‘location’ or ‘tag’.

The Positives

The integration with ratebeer.com and the simplicity make this app shine.  After searching and selecting a beer, a detail page appears with the beer name, brewery, location, style and ABV.  The detail page also provides information from ratebeer.com including the beer rating score, number of ratings, and a link to the website for more information.  A few people commented in the app’s reviews that it needs to offer more information such as descriptions and parings.  My thoughts are if you want something more complex, may I suggest Pintley?

What the Creators Could do Better

I think the direct link to ratebeer.com is a huge plus for this app.  I did notice the ratebeer.com score and number of ratings were different than what the app displayed.  I wonder if the information for the app is not linked directly to ratebeer.com site.  If not, no big deal but it probably should be updated on a regular basis.

Departing Thoughts

If you are just starting to track beers or do not care about a lot of complex notes and rating information this is a great app for you.  I also checked – and you can use this app (but not the ratebeer.com links) when not connected to a network so don’t worry if your connection is not great in the bar.  So drink up and enjoy your beer.

Technical Stuff

Beer etc app was tested and up-to-date on November 19 using an iPhone 4 on the Verizon network.

Try the app out by downloading it now:

iPhone

Tags: iPhone App