Untappd: Awesome or Awful?

If you are into craft beer you are probably on untapped. For those who aren’t, what is it like living under a rock? All kidding aside, untappd is probably one of the most popular social apps for for craft beer and it has roughly a crap ton of users. But is untappd good for craft beer? Let’s lay down the pros and cons here.

Why untappd is awesome:

Untappd can be used as a tool in two ways.

  1. It can be used to track all the beers you drink and what you think of them.
  2. It can help you discover new beers that you would have never even known about otherwise.

This is a great resource. Now when you are on the go, you can keep track of what beers you liked, didn’t like, or just thought were interesting/strange. Also, through the use of suggestions, you can find other beers/breweries/bars that you might not have otherwise known about. You can also see what your friends are drinking, this can give you the insight to ask them what they thought of the beer and if you would like it.

Why Untappd is awful:

Untappd creates a bad social culture in the same ways as any mobile social media outlet.

  1. Instead of just enjoying beers with your buddies, you have your nose buried in an app.
  2. It creates a “Drink a new beer every time” mentality instead of drinking what you are in the mood for.
  3. It creates the ‘Badge Hunter’ mentality.
  4. It turns craft beer into a competition rather than an art.

How can I avoid using untappd in the wrong ways?

  1. If you have a good memory, wait until you get home to check into untappd. Then you can have all the benefits of the app without loosing out on real social activity with your friends.
  2. If you must check in on untappd at the bar, Only check in the beers you really enjoy and want to try again. (Or the beers you want to avoid)
  3. Drink the beers you are in the mood for, not just the ones that give you a badge on untappd.
  4. Only share information on untappd that will help your friends choose a new beer to try.
  5. Above all, Have fun and don’t let untappd consume your craft beer experience. Just like in beer: Everything in moderation.

Overall I like untappd, it is a very useful tool to the beer drinker, but sometimes it leads me in the wrong direction as a beer aficionado. Also, I notice I miss out on great conversation if I’m drinking with buddies at a bar and I know my girlfriend doesn’t appreciate it when I’m nose deep in an app during a bar date.

What do you think of untappd? How do you think it affects you as a beer drinker or the craft beer community as a whole?

Be sure to follow me on twitter @CincyBeerBlog

Cheers!

-HDB

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