Why You Should Use Untapped!

This one is for you…you know who you are!

Untapped.

It’s controversial…I like what I like, why do I need to worry about what others think?

It’s time-consuming…why would I check my beer into an app? Just let me enjoy the drink!

But I will argue, it’s an invaluable tool, especially if you want to experience new things.

I ask my friends all the time, what did your data tell you?

Here’s why I think you should be using Untapped and checking in your pints.

Oh, Untapped, what is it? Untapped is the Facebook of beer. Nearly every beer has an entry in the Untapped database, which you can access on the web or through an app (like I do). If a beer is missing, you can add it. I use the app and you can rate beers from 0 to 5 using .25 increments. For me, it is kind of a game as I look at my ratings, my friends’ ratings, and finally global ones.

I will go back to one of the biggest questions I get, why do I care about what someone else rated a beer? Primarily, you don’t! What you care about is your data first and foremost. These ratings will provide you a history of what you’ve drank before. This will allow you to:

• Seek out beers you loved, or the brewery you made it

• Identify new-to-you beers

• Avoid beers and styles you despise

You can find these things out by seeing not only your rating but also your frequency of drinking a beer. And in playing the game to find unique beers in a field of many beers, like Epcot, it can be a valuable tool for seeking out the fresh pint.

Secondly, your friends’ beer matters to you. This is because you learn how your buddies drink. I, for example, know how my friends rate and their preferred styles. One friend, I know that our palates are generally .25 within each other and he’s a stern rater. If he enters a beer at 4.50…well, this is going to be a huge hit with me. Another friend rates things either middle of the road or super high. If it’s middle of the road, it’s likely not going to be remarkable. But if it’s a 5…well, it still may not be remarkable in my data. But at least I should glance at it.

Finally, global data can be helpful in your searches. Honestly, most beers are going to be rated a mid-3 or higher. But, if it’s an Imperial Stout with a 4.5 and has only 23 ratings, I take notice. And if it’s a beer with a rating less than 3 with thousands of ratings, it may not be a good beer (and people let’s quit buying that brand).

In short, Untapped is a beer journal. It’s your beer journal and your data informs you when making choices. I have been embarrassed several times buying a beer I HATTTEEEEE because I failed to look at my data. I would hate for you to go to Epcot, and order a beer you’ve already had and didn’t like just because of a hole in your memory. I’ve also, usually when I didn’t pre-check the app, found that in some cases my palate has changed due to rankings from years ago, or led me to question if the past pints came from dirty tap lines.

Rate those beers not for me, not for Mickey, but for yourself.