Craft beer and technology coalesce in the Drink Indiana Beer app, developed by the Brewers of Indiana Guild, a nonprofit trade association that represents all craft breweries in Indiana.
The app, which was released in January, is available on iOS and Android devices and features more than 120 Indiana craft breweries. Drink Indiana Beer allows users to find craft breweries near them, learn about craft beer events and get brewery specials. Users can also use the notes section to write about new beers they try.
The app was developed to connect customers with their favorite breweries, Tristan Schmid, communications director for the Brewers of Indiana Guild, said.
“Our current website works well on desktops, but it’s not mobile optimized,” Schmid said. “More and more people are using smart phones now, so we wanted something just for that.”
Arlyn Llewellyn, a manager at Function Brewery, said she likes the map feature of the app.
“I think Bloomington has a nice concentration of great breweries and beer spots, and a map demonstrates this,” Llewellyn said. “I think the more beer tourism in the state the better.”
The app is user friendly, with turn-by-turn directions available for every brewery, Schimd said.
It’s a great way to promote local breweries, said Ariel Kepler, an assistant manager at The Tap.
“I think it can make more people aware that the Tap actually brews its own beer, which most people don’t know,” Kepler said.
However, there is currently no way to statistically track the business brought in from the app, Schmid said. The Brewers Guild of Indiana plans to add a check-in feature in the near future.
Llewellyn said she is curious where the future of craft beer and technology will go.
Llewellyn said she hopes the app will connect production with the customer experience — for example, allowing app users to see how much is left in a keg and what beer is coming next at a brewery.
Some larger breweries are also already using this technology, Schmid said.
Technology can also help breweries save money and make sure they’re not wasting beer through bad batches or over-pouring, Schmid said. Currently, most small Indiana breweries do not have this technology because it is expensive, he said.
“As the tech becomes cheaper, more breweries will be using tech to make sure their beer tastes good,” Schmid said.
Schmid said the Brewers Guild of Indiana is also working on developing a loyalty program within the app to be released later this year.
“It will directly tie visits to breweries,” Schmid said. “This will track how often customers are going and how much they’re spending.”
Going to a craft brewery is supporting the community, Schmid said.
Schmid said nearly every dollar spent at a local craft brewery goes back to the community to support business owners and employees. However, with large brewing companies, the only money that stays in Indiana goes to the local distributor, and the rest of the profits go to a corporation out of state, he said.
Currently, the goal with the Drink Indiana Beer app is to keep information up-to-date and continue to drive traffic to the breweries, Schmid said.
“We’re focused on making sure it’s the most comprehensive information source on breweries in the state,” Schmid said.
