Drinking apps? Really? Don't get me wrong: I don't doubt your ability to sniff out the best places and mix the best cocktails — not one bit. However, with an ever-increasing number of watering holes (read: bars and such) cropping up, the following apps can not only help you become the best mixologist in town, but also a know-it-all when it comes to the issue of beer, bars, and cool hangouts.

Mixologist
Developer: Digital Outcrop
Platform: iOS
Price: $0.99 (Rs 50)
Rating:

It's said to be the ultimate drink and bartending guide to own for under $1. It has close to 8,000 recipes, including details such as the kind of ice to use for the best taste. Though I'm not entirely sure how many of the of the recipes are authentic, it does work well for both amateur and beginner-level drinkers. Easy to navigate, it ensures you never repeat a drink — at least I didn't in my review. If you don't want to spend on this app, try Mixology instead, it's decent.

Bartender
Developer: Jon Lerner
Platform: Android
Price: Free
Rating:

This tool is essentially a personal drink app-istant. Designed similar to Wikipedia, it functions as a search engine where you can look for your drink with your favourite ingredients, and even save it for later reference. It also allows you to post and share your own recipes. It works reasonably well, but the only issue with this app-istant is that since its user-generated content, there runs a risk of going askew with the instruction.

Pair it!
Developer: Bandar Interactive
Platform: iOS, Android
Price: Rs 275
Rating:

Created by wine sommelier and chef Bruce Riezenman, this app lets you discover, experiment, and savour new taste combinations and wine flavours by searching from over 20,000 food and wine pairings.

That does make for a massive amount of pairings, but the recipes are mostly American and European among others. While it would work wonders in any fine dining restaurant similar to those mentioned above, I'm not too sure of its success in Indian specialty ones. While the detailing helps you pick an alternative easily, the highlight of the app is the Swirl feature that suggests you random pairings.

Hello Vino
Developer: Hello Vino
Platform: iOS, Android
Price: Free
Rating:

This app is essentially a wine educator. You can checkout reviews, tasting notes, and the history of a huge array of wines – mostly Italians. It offers a decent collection of wines, but I hope of to have more new world varieties. Considering that it's free, and the interface is easy to use, it's surely worth the try.

iBrewMaster
Developer: iBrewMaster, Inc
Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $9.99 (Rs 550)
Rating:

This is a fully functional app that comes with 50 pre-installed recipes and a complete set of instructions that allow enthusiast brewers to make the perfect beer at home. It even has alarms to let you know when the fermentation process is complete. Honestly, I don't know much about brewing my own beer, so I can't comment on the correctness of the process. Looking at its price though, it comes across as an elaborate and exhaustive tutorial that even allows you to take notes, invent your own recipes, and use the app as a notepad.

WhiskyCast
Developer:  Jacobs Media
Platform: iOS, Android
Price: Free
Rating:

Hosted by Mark Gillespie, WhiskyCast is a weekly conversation on about whisky from around the world – the new launches, events, and discussions. It's like a walking talking encyclopaedia for both whisky lovers and scotch connoisseurs. Though there is an Android version of this original iPhone app, the episodes stream better on an iPad or iPhone.

Tags : Apps, Internet, Lifestyle, Android, iOS, Madhulika