APPetizing: DrinkOwl

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jun 8, 2011 6:00PM

We have been inundated with deal-a-day apps lately, to the point where we're pretty much impossible to impress. The field is getting so crowded that the deals are often laughably bad, featuring bars and restaurants we wouldn't wander into if we were already in the neighborhood, let alone go out of our way for. DrinkOwl is a refreshing change - it promises no discounts on its own, but allows users to see all the different drink specials going on, all over the city. Using your GPS location, it will find you beer, wine and cocktail specials close to you - and best of all, you don't have to bring a coupon.

Users can view specials through a map or a list, and the system is pretty comprehensive. There's no accounting for taste (it includes just about everything) but it's certainly easy. From our location, if we were looking for cheap martinis ($4 at La Cantina), cheap vodka mixers ($4 at Reggie's) cheap beer ($2 at Weather Mark) or cheap shots ($1 at Brando's), we'd be able to find them with this app with the touch of a button. Rather than a system that convinces you to go out of your way and spend money, DrinkOwl is nice because you can turn it on anywhere, and it'll tell you where to go - and the restaurant isn't getting screwed in the process. In fact, unlike Groupon (which takes revenue from restaurants) DrinkOwl just propels customers towards existing specials.

The app is free, and also includes some bonus features - a list for favorites and the ability to limit deals by category. If you're only looking for cheap beer, push a button and that's all you get. If you go out a lot, and are looking to save some money, download it today.