10 Best Drink Apps Slideshow

For the Wine Aficionado: Hello Vino (OS and Android)

Perfect for the recreational wine lover. This app helps you pick the right wine according to occasion, taste preference, country, or even meal. Added bonus: Snap a pic of a bottle label and the app gives you the wine's full rundown. Snootier imbibers should check out Wine Notes, which lets you record every nuance of a wine tasting experience.

For Wannabe Bartenders: Drinks Master (OS and Android)

This free app boasts more than 12,000 drink recipes, including ingredients, prep steps, and info on how to serve cocktails. Users can even search the app by ingredient for a list of recipes.

For the Serious Whiskey Drinker: WhiskeyCast (OS and Android)

You don't need to be a whiskey snob to enjoy WhiskeyCast. This free app features tasting notes for 600 whiskeys, fun podcasts, and a global database of whiskey-tasting events. Die-hard aficionados, however, should consider iWhiskey. At $11, it features an incredible database and reviews from whiskey expert F. Paul Pacult.

For Help Pairing Food and Wine: Pair It! (OS and Android)

Never fumble a food pairing again. Just pick the food you plan to serve, and this app's comprehensive database tells you which wines would most enhance the meal. Or, to make a dinner party even easier, pick one of the app's "Quick Pair" recommendations before you even start cooking.

For Happy Hour Hunting: Drink Owl (OS and Android)

Thanks to Drink Owl, it only takes a few clicks to find out where the party's at. The app uses GPS to give you up-to-date info on happy hour specials at bars in your vicinity. Users can also narrow their searches and look for specials on beer, cocktails, shots, or food.

For When You Need to Stock Up: Liquor Run Mobile (OS and Android)

Perfect for those Sunday nights when you're not sure if any nearby liquor stores are still open. With a database of more than 40,000 stores, Liquor Run Mobile serves up a proximity-based list of alcohol outlets in a user's 10-mile vicinity, including their opening and closing hours and specialty products.

For Cocktail Inspiration: Liquor Cabinet (OS)

There are more comprehensive apps for cocktail recipes, but Liquor Cabinet is the best option for those who want to mix up their at-home routine. Spend 10 minutes adding the contents of your kitchen and pantry, and the sleek, '50s-style app will offer a database of drink recipes — and tell you which ones are merely an ingredient away.

For Those Scouring for Shots: Shots! (OS)

For those hard-partying nights, this app has only one specialty — shots, and lots of them. Search by category (bachelor party, birthday, happy hour), browse alphabetically, or shake the app for a random pick. Classy bonus that's sure to make mom wring her hands: The app can post the shots you do to Facebook.

For the Homebrewer: iBrewMaster (OS and Android)

This app acts as a comprehensive hub for the novice at-home beer-maker — it stores your brewing activities and recipes, as well as offers step-by-step instructions on brewing your own pints. Plus, the app offers tried-and-tested beer recipes, complete with alcohol and caloric content and tasting notes.

For the Beer Geek: BeerCloud (OS and Android)

It has all the basics, including a searchable database of more than 2,800 brews. But BeerCloud also has some standout features: Scan a beer's barcode for detailed intel, or use the app's GPS to find nearby bars serving your favorite pint. If craft beers are your thing, check out Gallagher's Beer Guide instead — it's a robust resource for rare beer appreciation.