Mac Format - UK (2019-12)

96 | MACFORMAT | DECEMBER 2019

APPLE CHOICE App round-up

L

ife’s too short for a boring

pint of beer or a Cinzano and

lemonade. If you’re going to

drink, do it properly. These apps will help

you find something a cut above, whether

that’s finer beers, a new liqueur that’s just

to your taste, or a cocktail that makes your

random collection of bottles look like a

considered and deliberate collection.

We’ve included apps that can help you

build up a tasting library, give you an idea

of what to try next, and help you find

the best deals. Lots of them have social

networking built in too, tying into the

recommendations, so your drinking

buddies can compare notes.

Image credits (left to right): Distiller, Cocktail Flow, Vivino

6 apps to

help you enjoy

finer drinks

Reviewed by MATT BOLTON

These apps will help you help make the

most of your beer, wine and spirit choices

Become an instant expert about
all kinds of spirits with an app
that makes it easy to sound like
you know what you’re talking about
(and, eventually, it’ll make sure that you
actually do). It gives you detailed flavour
descriptions for any bottle you scan or
search for, so you can compare it with
your favourites. Rate drinks, and keep
a list of what you’ve tried.

So, you’ve got a semi–random

selection of spirits and liqueurs

hanging around, and guests are

coming. What can you make to impress

them? Tell this app exactly what you’ve

got, and it will tell you exactly what you

should make, with easy-to-follow

instructions. You can also look up other

cocktail recipes for inspiration, and learn

more about the ingredients.

Distiller
Free NEEDS iOS 11 or later

Cocktail Flow

Free (IAPs) NEEDS iOS 11 or later

What Distiller does for spirits,

Vivino does for wine. Scan a

wine label to get tasting notes,

average price, reviews, and more. You

can rate wines yourself, build a list of

favourites, and even take part in a social

network of wine lovers. There are some

handy ranking lists for different

categories (such as by price), so you

can go straight for the good stuff.

Vivino

Free NEEDS iOS 11 or later