The 5 best beer apps, courtesy of a 'giant nerd'

If you're a drinker, then you've likely been in a scenario where you order a beer you know nothing about only to discover that it's not to your taste.

Perhaps it was a habanero infused lager? Or was it ahazelnut, double shot espresso stout? Blech.

Instead ofchoking it down or watching it get warm do your research.

Our smartphones have become an invaluable resource. With a tap of your finger you can look up recipes, track your exercise and helpchoose a beer that you'll actually like.

For that, we turn to Adam Goetz, a tech guru at The Brigade digital advertising agency in Calgary.

"I'm a giant nerd and I hope to educate people on the cool apps that are out there for them to download and experience."

He also grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo, home of the second biggest Oktoberfest in the world.

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Brewdex

What's a Baltic Porter? What glass should I use with a Witbier? What beer should I drink with shrimp cocktail? Goetz says this app answers all those kinds of questions. "Some very top-level information on the brewing process, a little bit about the history of the beer and also a bunch of different beer styles that you can start to get into."

Next Glass

Download it, rate five different beers and the app will "slowly learn about what you like" and give you recommendations based on your taste profile, said Goetz.

MiniBrew

This app is still in development, but when it's ready it will allow users to browse beer recipes from around the world and make them! The app is intended to be used in tandem with the MiniBrew - a machine that will be able perform all the the phases of brewmaking. The Dutch company behind this idea also plans to sell all the ingredients for the beer recipes, and deliver them to your door.

iBrewMaster

If MiniBrew is aimed atbeginners, iBrewMaster is for the pro's. Goetz says the app and website are one of the best resources out there for home brewers and has a library of recipes for pretty much every type of beer. This app is not free and will set you back anywhere from $7.99to $15.99to download, depending on which version you want.

BreweryMap

This app costs $4.59 and helps users build a beer roadtrip. Enter your location and destination and you'll be provided with a map that pinpoints all the breweries along the way.

• What's your favourite beer app? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.