This week we officially kicked off the month of December… a.k.a. the always-fun-and-sometimes-awkward holiday party season. Among others, we are looking forward to hitting up the Dart party tonight, Playtime community event next week, as well as the Bostinno #startupdrinkup meetup people are getting together for on 12/17 (location TBD for all of you in the innovation economy who won’t have left the city yet).
For those who say the startup community doesn’t know how to party, a whopping 5 drinking apps have been built right here in the Hub in the last year! Whether you’re looking for a recommendation on what to bring to your next holiday party, what will pair well with your parents dinner, or what holiday brews your friends are tasting keep these on hand:
BrewGene
BrewGene’s iPhone app hit Apple’s store just last week, but their recommendation engine website has been around for a couple years now (formerly known as TheBeerGenome). Use BrewGene if you are looking to rate and keep track of the craft brews you drink (your “beer cellar”), search for ratings and taste info on particular beers, and get served personalized recommendations based on those you rate. The team at BrewGene also pushes out a Beer of the Day to the app for those of you looking for spontaneity or a well-rated suggestion. Keep an eye on this app as they continue to develop social features, and take the profiles of drinkers registered on their site mobile.
Drync
Drync is a wine recommendation iPhone app, and the company offers both a free and a premium paid app ($4.99). One of the best features of the free app is its smart search. Not sure of the exact name of a wine but know the type you want and your price point? Try searching for something like “Cab $20” and a list of wines with ratings, reviews and price will appear. Use Drync to keep track of wines you’ve drank, own, and want (your “wine cellar”) — even when you don’t have internet access in their notes section. Drync also includes social features where you can share a wine over Twitter and Facebook. Like a wine Drync recommends so much that you want to purchase it online? With a click the app will take you to Wine.com where you can make a purchase. Read about all the features of Drync’s apps and their story here.
Pintley
Pintley lets you “tap into your beer tastes,” and is another beer rating and recommendation iPhone app. The app allows you to keep your favorite brews on hand or make a wishlist of those you’d like to taste. For each beer they offer a summary including style, brewery, abv, and where it is brewed. With a quick click through you can also read what other Pintley users have said about a particular brew and what they’ve rated it. Read about all of Pintley’s features and their story here.
RedPint
RedPint is Foodspotting for beer. Want to know what your friends are drinking and share what you’re drinking, too? Then this iPhone app, a personal favorite, is truly social and made for you. The app has attracted some of Boston’s craft brew socialites in just its first couple months of being live. Follow people and update your status to show what you’re drinking, where you’re drinking it, and even add commentary and snap a pic to go along with it. The company is currently working to integrate with Foursquare, which is sure to make it even more of a hit. And for you craft brew enthusiasts, the app also lets you see locations that have a great selection of brews. Read about all of RedPint’s features and their story here.
Second Glass
Second Glass’ mobile site was really built for their killer wine tasting events like Wine Riot. However, you can still visit the site, search for wines, and rate the good ones that have been at their events on their handy mobile site right now. Looking for a panty dropper? How about a parent pleaser? The Second Glass team knows what’s up when it comes to bringing wine to the masses, so make sure you take note of the wines they’ve rated highly. Read about all the features of Second Glass’ mobile site and their story here (video included).
