MR. BOSTON OFFICIAL MOBILE BARTENDER'S GUIDE

Everything you want to know about mixology in the palm of your hand.

Of course, the classic Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide, originally published in 1935, was also made to be handheld, and this app is only marginally easier to use than the book. Both are organized by main ingredient and searchable by index. As with the paper version, the app includes a charmingly written guide to bartending, with erudite references to the profession’s golden age in the late 19th century when the best known cocktails were invented and their recipes first recorded. The bar basics section covers everything from essential equipment, bar stocking and glassware to mixing techniques. The app can change the text’s font as well as font size to make recipes easier to read, and you can probably find what you’re looking for a bit faster with the app’s search function than by flipping through the book’s 250-some pages. You can also share recipes easily via e-mail or Facebook, and convert to metric measurements with the flip of a switch. To make things even a little more interesting, if you give your iPhone a shake on the home page, a random drink recipe will pop up on the screen to the sound of ice cubes rattling in a shaker. Otherwise, the app is so basic in its functionality as to be a little boring. So what do you want for 99 cents?