The spirits world is getting a high-tech makeover with the launch of a new app from Bottle Raiders, which uses AI-powered image recognition technology to empower enthusiasts to scan and read ratings of premium liquors. According to Forbes, which broke news of the launch, the new app aims to be “Vivino for premium spirits.”
Dan Abrams, the founder of both Mediaite and Bottle Raiders, told Forbes that he kick-started the app project to expand the Bottle Raiders experience. He hopes the app will make it easier to unlock the often overwhelming world of fine liquor by giving users quick and easy access to reviews sourced from trusted critics and fellow aficionados.
Speaking to Forbes, Abrams said: “What has been missing in the spirits app world is the ability to scan the label of a bottle and see the reviews. Vivino already conquered this with wine, but there is nothing quite comparable in the spirits space. We are aggregating the experts.”
He added: “We think of it as the intersection between tech and ratings, making the largest database of reviews easily accessible through broad scanning functionality across all spirits.”
Abrams first launched Bottle Raiders as a website in 2020 after struggling to find a single comprehensive source for spirit reviews.
He recalled: “As a relatively new bourbon drinker, I found myself going to three or four different specialty websites.”
The frustration spurred the creation of an outlet that aggregates reviews and assigns an overall score, much like Rotten Tomatoes does for films.
The Bottle Raiders app’s AI technology is designed to handle the diversity of liquor bottle shapes and labels. It’s available on Apple and Android.
Looking to the future, Bottle Raiders continues to grow through acquisitions, including the recent purchase of two events companies focused on in person experiences for its audience.
