This article was taken from the May 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Apps such as Vivino (WIRED 04.15) and Delectable already use crowd-sourced reviews to help you choose a bottle of wine. But North Carolina-based startup Next Glass relies on a tipple's chemical composition. The company runs each drink through a mass spectrometer, explains CEO Kurt Taylor, 26. "That gives us thousands of data points for each wine and beer, so we get a fingerprint that defines the different elements." By comparing he chemicals in the drinks you have rated highly, the Next Glass app recommends similar bottles in its database.
Gathering the data sounds like fun: the company has processed more than 12,000 varieties of beer. Next Glass is planning a British beer census later this year. And guess what? You can mix grain and grape. "The ratings you give for wine actually help your beer recommendations, and vice versa," says Taylor.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
