People have been brewing and selling beer for thousands of years; I remember as an undergraduate having to read about people in the dark ages falling into the vats of the stuff and drowning. But it’s only recently that technology has really assisted the brewers and the bar owners in selling it.
This is all very topical, as this September a new app called Taplister went online. What’s different about Taplister as opposed to Yelp or any other bar/restaurant finder is that Taplister aims at tracking craft brews, and where they’re served. As an example, I remember that I enjoyed an excellent pint of North Coast’s Old Rasputin on Thursday night (hint: it’ll get you buzzed on the quick). Now, if I want it again, all I have to do is simply type in my ZIP code, and I can see the nearest establishment that serves it. I can even see the beer’s rating courtesy of Ratebeer.com.
The real game-changer with Taplister is its mobile app. Say you’re wandering around town
However, Taplister does have some serious drawbacks. For a start, the craft beer community revels in fresh, seasonal or small batch beer. Most of these beers are only available in small pony kegs or spaceballs, and accordingly, they tend to run out pretty quickly. Taplister is going to have to react quickly, in numerous cities, to make sure that these lists are up date. Judging by Banger’s Sausage and Beer Garden’s list (I also work there); there are numerous beers that we no longer serve still listed.
It would be premature to damn Taplister to app hell just yet, especially as they’re still in their beta phase, and the app is already fairly robust and populated even without using user submitted updates. And with the craft brewery’s continually increasing market share, it’s not too far-fetched to see Taplister succeeding in a big way.
