BeerText

Did you ever see an unfamiliar beer in a store or on a pub menu and want to get some info on it before buying? When it happens to me, I'll typically bring up one of the beer rating sites, or Google, on my iPhone for some quick research. That's okay if I'm someplace where I can get a relatively decent data connection. Now there's a new service that promises a quick response if you can send and receive a text message.

BeerText is an SMS interface to BreweryDB.com. To use the service simply text the name of the beer in question to 315-679-4711. Within a few seconds you'll receive a series of messages back with information about the beer.

As a test I chose a few beers that are not nationally distributed. First up was "Port City Optimal Wit" which returned a three part text with the brewery's description. A test with "Blue & Gray Stonewall Stout" returned no results, just a tip to add the beer at brewerydb.com. Next I tried leaving off the brewery name and just sent "Gold Leaf Lager." That was still a successful hit, returning the information on this beer from Devils Backbone Brewing Company.

I expect I'll be making use of BeerText frequently. It's certainly quicker than loading a search engine. I've even made an entry in my address book to make it easier to enter the number.

You can read about the development of BeerText here.