Untappd, a check-in social network for beer connoisseurs, added a feature over the weekend that lets you rate the brews you check in to on a scale of one to five bottle caps. That rating will stick when you check in again, but you can always change it if your opinion drifts one way or the other with experience. Untappd has hinted that they’re hoping to extend the review system further, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see multiple categories of rating, like Google’s Hotpot, and text-based commentary which others in the network could rate in turn, kind of like GetGlue. If Untappd could somehow get picture uploading into a mobile browser-based app, I’d be really impressed.
I’ve actually been itching to write about Untappd for awhile; it’s a very polished web app that’s optimized for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and webOS so that when you add the shortcut to any of your home screens, it looks just like an app. Untappd plugs into Twitter and Facebook for when you want to share what you’re drinking to your larger network of friends, and is location aware so you can check in to a bar at the same time as checking in to a beer. As is standard with check-in apps, Untappd has a variety of badges available depending on when, where, and to which beers you check in. For example, if you checked in yesterday, you’d get a reward in your profile specifically for Mardi Gras 2011. You can mark specific beers as favourites for easy access later on, and follow friends to see what they’re drinking – even leave a virtual “toast” to your distant drinking buddies.
I gotta give Untappd credit for making such a polished app without it being, y’know… an app. The idea also deserves particular credit for introducing a relatively original idea to a growingly-crowded check-in space. Want to give it a shot? Go to m.untappd.com in your mobile browser to sign up.
[via Untappd]