A new beer and wine app that scans product labels, called Next Glass, let users know if their taste matches the drink.
After you install the app and create an account, Next Glass helps you build a “taste profile” to guide future recommendations. By entering a few beers and wines you like, the app will give better matches. The more information you provide, the more precise it will be.
Once you’ve set up your profile, just pull out your smartphone’s camera before buying a drink and scan the label. The app checks its database for similar traits to see if your taste matches the drink on the shelf. If the label can’t be read for any reason, the app lets users switch to keyboard mode and enter the drink name by hand.
Forbes describe the new app as a “match-maker” between the drink’s DNA and a consumer’s DNA. Next glass was created in Wilmington, North Carolina by a staff with a PhD in chemistry and several reality specialists. Applying science, technology, and booze is new, making this app a one-of-a-kind.
As of now, the beer and wine app works best with well-known brands, though there are a few smaller ones that work great. Alan Henry from LifeHacker tested the app and said it failed to work on several bottles at home. “and sometimes, when it found the right winery, it didn’t have the right varietal.” Henry says that this could be because Next Glass was geared to the broadest set of palates at launch.
Smaller wineries and breweries may not be in the database, but they can change that. If the seller sends their beers and wines to Next Glass, it will simply be analyzed and entered into the database. Sending in products could help these smaller business generate more profit and get their brand out there.
If you use this beer and wine app, you should go back and rate the drinks you purchased. The taste profile and matches becomes more reliable each time a drink is rated.
Next Glass is now available for free on Android and iOS devices. Check out the video to see how it works.