Best St. Patrick’s Day iPhone apps

Drunkometer — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re planning on partaking in the happenings of March 17, you had better have a game plane. These iPhone apps will keep your night as fun-filled and booze-soaked as possible.

Happy HoursFree

This app is…well, applicable for any time of the year that you want to partake in some discounted beer and bar food. But it’s got a special place in our pockets, wallets, and hearts on March 17, when a good many of us are liable to swig beer by the pint and bar hopping makes happy hour last an entire day. Happy Hours is supported in just about every major city and many that aren’t, and the app uses your GPS to find happy hour locales in your community and determines your options based on user feedback.

Beer Roulette – The Drinking Game$0.99

Don’t get us wrong: Drinking is fun. Providing entertainment for you and your group probably isn’t necessary, but on a holiday such as St. Patty’s Day, your interest in beer might begin to wane as the night goes on. And when the ale coma starts to set in, break out the Beer Roulette app and start to reenergize your group with a good old-fashioned drinking game. The beers are digitally “shaken,” mixed, and then you and yours must choose among them. The loser (and we think you know this part) drinks. [Note: We can’t find it on the online iTunes store, but it’s definitely in the App Store via iPhone or iPad.]

Drunkometer$0.99

It’s also important to assess your state of mind as the day (and eventually night) wears on. The Drunkometer app does just that by testing your reaction time and stability. And if you’re overwhelmingly failing that test, it conveniently lets you e-mail your location to a friend with the push of a button. Want to save face? It can call you a cab.

Beer chooserFree

So many beers, so little time! You’ve got a mere 24 hours to consumer as much of the stuff as you can and let’s face it, your favorite is going to taste stale after a few hours in. You can keep a log of everything you’ve tried and from your customized list, receive suggestions from Beer Chooser on brews you may favor. The app also has a function showing you beers “trending” near you for those who like jumping on the bandwagon.

Guinness Pub FinderFree

Guinness isn’t for everyone. It’s an acquired taste that is more meal than beer, and is guaranteed to leave a noticeable taste in your mouth (and nose, and eyes, and ears, depending on the brew). But even if you’re as Protestant as they come and would rather use Guinness as a poison, you’ve got to have a pint on St. Patrick’s Day. The Guinness Pub Finder app will help you do just that: It pulls from its database of more than 20,000 pubs in the country that serve the stuff and also allows you to rate your drinks. It will also offer tips on how best to enjoy you draught, which can make or break your Guinness experience.

St. Patrick’s Recipes$0.99

Not a drinker? That’s okay – there are other ways to celebrate the holiday. This collection of traditional Irish recipes can fill you up without causing you to fall down.