“There’s an app for that” is a contemporary catchphrase for a reason — smartphone users can find quite literally everything on their device’s application store.
In the beverage industry, there are alcohol delivery apps to stock up on a rare or last-minute ingredient, apps to help sort through quality labels and apps that can help you curate the perfect cocktail.
Whether a hobbyist at-home bartender or a professional mixologist, the following eight apps offer a database of thousands of recipes, along with unique features that allow you to create cocktails with what’s in your pantry or to share new recipes with friends.
The Top 8 Drink Apps
Cocktail Flow
As the number one cocktail app on the Apple App Store, Cocktail Flow offers something for everyone. The interface is clean and aesthetically pleasing, with a discover page that suggests recipes based on category, from seasonal sips (Christmas, New Year’s Eve) to iconic cocktails (martini, daiquiris) to base spirit (rum, gin). There’s also a “cocktails by type” section, showcasing short versus long drinks, tropical, as well as international cocktails. This information is available to all users for free but for those seeking a bit more, Cocktail Flow Premium ($4.99/month) allows access to over 300 more cocktails, as well as a feature that lets users add their own notes to cocktails and record their own recipes. Available on Android, iOS, Windows 8 or Windows Phone.
Make Me A Cocktail
Before apps, there were websites, which is exactly how Make Me A Cocktail became a renowned resource in the international drinks world. They transferred their collection of more than 3,500 recipes to an app for the modern customer, which includes a personalized bar where users can add the ingredients they have in front of them — including spirits, mixers and niche ingredients like eggs — for the app to sort through and generate a cocktails you can make without having to buy anything new. If you prefer to browse, there’s a search bar that can find exactly what you’re looking for, from hot drinks to higher alcohol, and users can build up a library for seamless, future access to their favorite recipes. The app is free and available on iOS.
Cocktail Party
For those who desire a more polished interface, fewer ads and fewer sponsored drinks, you’ll have to pay for it. Cocktail Party is $3.99 for a one-time purchase and promises once you buy it, you’ll receive updates and new drink recipes forever. Aside from a portfolio of quality recipes, and an ingredient library, Cocktail Party is equipped with a substitutions feature; don’t have cognac but have brandy? The app is able to identify an appropriate substitution from the ingredients you enter in your library to ensure you can still create the perfect cocktail. Available on iOS and Google Play.
Highball By Studio Neat
Mixologists will appreciate Highball for its safe, easy storage of their personal concoctions. The app was designed to share and collect cocktails for users to create their own database, but they can also import other recipes directly into Highball which will automatically be formatted to fit the design of the app. The shareable recipe cards are a noteworthy feature as the app prepares a savvy image that can easily be shared to your social networks from the app. The app is free and available on iOS.
BarSpoon
The branding of BarSpoon is suave and sexy, almost like walking into a dimly lit bar. The free version features 2,000 cocktails, step-by-step instructions with exact measurements (easily convertible to mL for users outside the U.S.) and even helps you choose the correct glassware and garnish for the chosen cocktail. Another standout feature is the fun fact about the history of the cocktail that’s included on its recipe card — an opportunity to create conversation among guests or to learn something new. The Premium Cocktails subscription is a one-time purchase of $3.99 that unlocks lifetime access to BarSpoon signature and original recipes. Available on iOS.
Mixel
There are some 2,500 curated cocktail recipes available on the free version of the Mixel app. The database is fully sortable by flavor, ingredient or style, and customizable to the ingredients you have on hand. The Mixel Maximizer feature calculates what you should buy next to get the most out of the ingredients you already have, and automatically adds it to the in-app shopping list. The tiered premium subscriptions start at $1.99/month and offer access to more recipes organized by category, a collaborative recipe editing feature and the inclusion of public comments. Available on iOS and Google Play.
Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki App
Cocktail authority Martin Doudoroff compiled more than 250 cocktails from his collection of tiki cocktail recipe books, including Beachbum Berry Remixed and Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari, into a singular, convenient, digital library. The one-time-purchase app is $12.99 for exclusive access to the recipes that span 80 years of exotic libations, from the classics like the Mai Tai, Scorpion and Zombie to the lesser known recipes of the 1940s through 1970s. Available on iOS.
Tequila Matchmaker
This popular website turned app is ideal for vetting quality tequilas (like those with responsible practices and without preservatives or additives) and discovering your perfect tequila match. Since a tequila cocktail can only be as good as its premium base, let the Tequila Matchmaker’s algorithm evaluate nine different characteristics based on your flavor preferences to find the tequila best-suited for you. The app is free and available on iOS and Google Play.
