Like most other millennials, I’m completely attached to my mobile phone. Sometimes it’s weird to think that just 10 years ago I barely had any idea what a cell phone was or how to use it. When I got my first cell phone a year later, all I could do with it was make calls. Now, smartphones can do everything from stream music and movies to connect friends and family through text messages and video calls. For many users, it’s a window to the world.

There’s also a plethora of new ways for people to use it to connect to the beverage world as well. 

For consumers hunting down their favorite craft beers, Fanfare Mobile released the Craft Beer Alerts system in January. Users can subscribe to their favorite craft beer styles, breweries or specific beers and receive text messages when they’re available at participating businesses. In turn, bars, breweries and liquor stores can use the system to learn which beers are most popular among their consumers and send targeted messages to subscribers based on specific interests, the company says.  

For the rum lovers, Ron Abuelo released a free iPhone app featuring product information, brand history, cocktail recipes and a Wise Drivers feature to help prevent drunk driving by connecting users with local taxi companies, it says.

Adding to the social aspect of enjoying drinks on-premise, Bar Louie released a free iPhone app that allows Facebook users to send specific Bar Louie drinks to their Facebook friends via virtual gift cards and also receive and request drinks from them. Fans also can use the app to check in at their favorite Bar Louie locations and post about their experiences on their Facebook walls.  

 With all of these ways to connect, it sure seems easy for everyone to stay in the loop with their favorite beverage companies.