Are you a cocktail enthusiast looking to elevate your home mixology game? Look no further! With the help of your trusty smartphone, you can now access a wide variety of mixology apps that will take your drink-making skills to the next level. From finding new recipes to tracking your favourite ingredients, these eight apps will make your next happy hour even happier. So put on your mixologist’s hat, grab your shaker, and let’s get mixing!
Mastering the art of mixology can be a daunting task, but with the help of a cocktail app, it doesn’t have to be. The world of mixology is constantly evolving and it can be overwhelming to keep up with new recipes, techniques, and ingredients. However, with the help of technology, it’s now easier than ever to learn and improve your skills.
Learning the craft of mixology requires understanding bar tools, history, and flavour combinations. It’s not something that can be learned overnight. But with the right tools and resources, it becomes much more manageable. And that’s where smartphone apps come in – they are a great resource for beginners and experts alike.
To make your journey a little easier, I have compiled a list of the eight best smartphone apps for mixology. These apps offer a variety of features, such as recipes, inventory management, and barcode scanning, which will make your cocktail-making experience smoother and more enjoyable. And if you’re still unsure about the right equipment, you can check out our post on different types of cocktail shakers, which will give you all the information you need to make delicious cocktails at home.
Cocktail Flow
(iOS, Android) Cocktail Flow is a must-have app for anyone looking to improve their mixology skills. With its user-friendly design and a large selection of cocktail recipes, beginners will easily follow step-by-step guides and create delicious drinks.
The app offers a wealth of inspiration for your next cocktail creation, whether searching for a specific base spirit or browsing through collections of recipes. For future reference, you can also take notes on the drinks you’ve mixed with remembering what worked and what didn’t.
One of my favourite features of Cocktail Flow is the My Bar tab, which allows you to input the ingredients you have on hand and suggests cocktail recipes you can make with them. This is a great way to use what you have and not waste ingredients.
All in all, Cocktail Flow is a fantastic app for aspiring home bartenders, and best of all, it’s free for both Android and iOS.
BarSpoon
(iOS) BarSpoon is a great app for expanding its cocktail recipe collection. It has a polished design and offers over 400 recipes that you can download for free on the App Store. At this time, it’s only available for Apple iOS.
In my opinion, one of the best features of BarSpoon is the recipe cards. They are beautifully designed and offer the option to switch between oz and ml measurements, making it easy to follow the instructions. The recipe cards also include information on the ingredients, glassware, and garnish required to make the drink.
Another aspect I appreciate about BarSpoon is the option to filter cocktails by era, such as “Turn of the Century” (1880-1919) or “Prohibition” (1920-1933). This allows you to discover new recipes and learn a bit of history. It’s a great way to take your mixology knowledge to the next level.
Modern Classics
(iOS, $) Modern Classics is a unique cocktail app curated by New York Times journalist Robert Simonson, featuring a collection of innovative and unusual cocktail recipes. This app will inspire you with its creative creations, including barrel-aged cocktails and the Paper Plane cocktail. Each recipe is evaluated by Robert Simonson, who explains why it made it into the app.
Additionally, the app provides in-depth background information on the drinks and their potential to be future classics. It’s not as beginner-friendly as other apps, but it’s an excellent choice for aspiring home bartenders who want to learn more about contemporary mixology.
The app comes with a price tag of $9.99, but it offers information that can’t be found in other apps. Unfortunately, it’s only available for iOS, so Android users won’t be able to access it at this time.
Mixel
(iOS, Android) Mixel is a new and versatile bartending app that can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. With over 1,900 cocktail recipes available, it offers a wide selection and multiple options for filtering and sorting through them.
One of the great features of Mixel is that it allows users to add their own cocktail recipes to the app’s database. Similar to Cocktail Flow and Modern Classics, it also has a feature where you can input the ingredients you have at home, making it easier to find recipes that you can make immediately.
The app is free to download and provides access to 80 recipes. However, for full access to all the recipes, you will need to pay for the premium upgrade, which is currently available for $11.99.
Bartender’s Choice
(iOS, Android, $) Bartender’s Choice is an app that allows you to experience the luxury of a personalized cocktail service at home. With this app, you can almost replicate the experience of visiting a fancy bar where the bartenders ask you about your preferences and mix up unique cocktails just for you.
The app begins by asking you about your preferred type of liquor, flavours, and styles of cocktails. Your answers recommend a list of suitable drinks similar to what you would get in a high-end cocktail bar.
The logic behind the app is based on the expertise of a renowned bartender, Sam Ross. He created the app that can serve perfect cocktails for everyone at home without requiring extensive knowledge of ingredients and recipes.
For just $4.99, you can get this app on your iOS or Android device and become the bartender who mixes custom cocktails for your friends and guests.
Highball
(iOS) Highball is a top-notch app for home mixologists, currently available only on iOS. It features well-designed recipe cards that are organized in a visually appealing stack.
One of the unique features of Highball is that it allows you to create and upload your cocktail recipes. It’s easy to add a list of ingredients with measurements and instructions on how to make the cocktail. These recipes are visible to all app users, who can suggest twists and modifications make your recipe even better.
This app is a great way to keep track of your recipes and share and collaborate with other mixologists worldwide. The beautiful design and easy-to-use interface make it an enjoyable experience for any home bartender.
Distiller
(iOS, Android) The Distiller app is a unique app that offers extensive knowledge about spirits. Unlike other bartending apps, it is focused on providing users with a comprehensive database of spirits.
Have you ever been to the liquor store or supermarket and wondered which bourbon whiskey to choose for your Continental Sour recipe? With Distiller, you can quickly look up different options and check reviews, making it easy to choose the perfect spirit for your recipe.
Distiller offers a wide range of spirits, with short descriptions, reviews, tasting notes, and flavour profiles for almost every spirit brand on the market. It’s a great tool to have on your smartphone. Users can also leave their reviews and tasting notes, giving other users an idea of their opinion on a specific spirit.
The best part is that the app is completely free to use, all you need is to set up an account, and you can start browsing through its contents right away. Distiller is a must-have app for any home bartender or spirits enthusiast.
Ginventory
(iOS, Android) Ginventory is an app similar to Distiller but specifically focuses on Gin. As an aspiring home bartender, you may have encountered the challenge of finding the right tonic water to pair with your gin to create the perfect serve.
Ginventory offers a solution to this problem by providing users with an extensive database of gins and recommendations for tonic water and suitable botanicals. It also includes a review mechanism, making it a great tool for discovering new and high-quality gins.
You can find almost every gin on this app, making it a great resource for gin enthusiasts and home bartenders. With Ginventory, you can easily access encyclopedia-like knowledge about gin and create perfect gin-tonic serves. It’s a great tool for anyone who wants to improve their gin-mixing skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many smartphone apps can help you become a master mixologist. From finding new recipes to tracking your favourite ingredients, these apps offer various features to make your cocktail-making experience smoother and more enjoyable. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, there is an app for everyone. From BarSpoon, Cocktail Flow, Modern Classics, Mixel, Bartender’s Choice, Highball, Distiller and Ginventory, you will find an app that suits your needs and preferences. We hope this list of the eight best smartphone apps for mixology & cocktails will help you take your home mixology game to the next level and make your next happy hour even happier.
