# bartender.live — What can I make? Ask your bar.

> Cocktail recipe discovery and sharing app with ingredient-based search. (iPhone/iPad app by Jacket Industries, LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartenderlive/id1309377225 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Jacket Industries, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1126517950)
- Category: Food & Drink
- Price: Free with in-app purchases (on sale, was $2.99)
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 388 App Store ratings · 43 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 76 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2017-12-30
- Data updated: 2026-09-01
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartenderlive/id1309377225/reviews.md

## What is bartender.live?

bartender.live tells you what you can make with what you already have.

Check off the bottles in your bar and the app narrows a library of more than a thousand cocktails down to the ones you can pour tonight - complete, with nothing missing. Free.

WHAT'S FREE
- The whole drink library, with photos, honest measures, glassware, and the story behind each drink. New recipes almost every day.
- My Bar: track as many bottles as you like, synced across your devices with iCloud.
- I Can Make: the filter that started it all. One tap and you see only the cocktails your shelf can already pour.
- Favorites and sharing: keep the good ones and send the recipe to whoever is thirsty.
- Ingredient pages: what each bottle is, how it tastes, and every drink that calls for it.

TOP SHELF
One purchase, kept forever, no subscription:
- The Almost filter: every cocktail you are exactly one bottle away from making, with the bottle named.
- Home Screen widgets.
- The daily cocktail suggestion.
- Suggestions limited to what you can actually make.
- Custom icons for your favorites.

FOUNDERS
Bought the app back when it cost money? You are a Founder: every Top Shelf feature is yours automatically, forever. The first round was on you, and the house does not forget that.

Cheers!

## Key features

- Ingredient-based drink discovery
- Browse 1000+ cocktail recipes
- Favorite drinks for quick access
- Share recipes with friends
- Learn drink history
- Discover new cocktails

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Top Shelf | $4.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of bartender.live?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 💡 Innovative 'In My Bar' feature to find drinks based on available ingredients
- 📚 Extensive database of cocktail recipes
- 🎯 Generic ingredient categories instead of brand-specific items
- ⏰ Daily drink reminder at 5pm
- 🖼️ Visually appealing with good use of images and thumbnails
- 💰 Affordable pricing ($3)
- 🔍 Search functionality works well for most queries
- 📱 Clean, well-designed layout

**Cons**

- 🔍 Search function inconsistent and sometimes returns no results
- ❌ Limited ability to add personal recipes and notes
- 🐦 Twitter-only submission method for new recipes (inaccessible to many)
- 📋 Incomplete recipe database missing common drinks
- ⚠️ Quality control issues with some recipes (missing ingredients)
- 🎨 Icon doesn't fit iOS design aesthetic
- 📢 Excessive brand-specific recipe spam
- 🔧 Supplies section underdeveloped and not industry-focused
- 🚫 Cannot add custom ingredients to personal inventory
- 😤 Poor developer communication and defensive responses to feedback

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Search returns no results for valid queries (e.g., 'Gin Campari')
- 'New' tab in drinks list remains grayed out
- New drink notifications not accessible if alert is missed
- Missing ingredients in some recipe descriptions despite correct images
- Inconsistent notification delivery for daily drink feature

**Most requested features**

- Search/filter by specific spirit or ingredient (e.g., mint, bourbon)
- Ability to add personal notes and modify recipes
- Quantity tracking for inventory items
- Filter drinks by number of missing ingredients (1-3 missing)
- Ingredient suggestions to unlock more drinks
- Non-Twitter method to submit new recipes (email preferred)
- Filter 'In My Bar' section by spirit or ingredient
- Seasonal categorization (summer/winter/spring/autumn)
- Back-to-top button or persistent search bar
- Grocery list generation based on inventory
- Expand spirit varieties (spiced rum, different gin brands, etc.)
- Correct recipe errors (e.g., classic vs. modern martini definitions)
- Quality control feedback feature for recipe corrections
- Notification system for new daily drinks
- iOS 10.0 compatibility for older devices

## Recent user reviews (10 of 43)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartenderlive/id1309377225/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Still great and now even better!!

*2026-08-24*

I have recommended this app to many friends and just about anyone interested in making cocktails. I’ve been using it for 7 years now and I think it’s still the best one available!!

**Developer response:** That's very odd and we cannot reproduce that problem.
Can you please submit a bug report about this so we can contact you? You can do so through the website by visiting the /contact page.

Thanks for the feedback!

### 2/5 — Search function is really poor

*2024-04-27, version 1.52*

I search for “Gin Campari “ within the All Drinks tab and it returned nothing; not helpful!

### 4/5 — Bartender.live

*2024-03-20, version 1.52*

Great app. Has been very useful. 
Please add a search function to look up featured cocktails. Also the ability to look for drinks featuring a particular spirit would be nice also.

### 1/5 — Alright, could have some improvements

*2024-02-23*

Being able to filter based on your in stock inventory is nice. I might suggest the ability to list how much of each inventory (quantity) you have, because obviously that's going to limit your sales volume. I also think a search option would be useful, say for example you want to filter by drinks that use "mint" as an ingredient. The supplies section is completely useless, and doesn't seem to be developed by anyone who's actually worked in the industry. Otherwise it's a nice pocket reference. It's obviously not all encompassing, for example I went to search for "hot toddy" and there is not a recipe for what is a fairly common drink.

I wrote a kind review and the idiot developer responded with two blatant lies about their product. I'm now rating this as 1 star because of this asswipe.

**Developer response:** Hi and thanks for the review!
Please note that you absolutely can search for drinks that use mint. Pull down on any of the lists in the Drink Library and you’ll see the search box. 
Also: Hot toddy is one of my favorite drinks and it’s been in the system since day one!
———————
I’m confused. You dropped the rating from 4 stars to 1 star after I replied. How did my response have a negative impact on your review of my app?

### 3/5 — Alright, could have some improvements

*2024-02-21*

Being able to filter based on your in stock inventory is nice. I might suggest the ability to list how much of each inventory (quantity) you have, because obviously that's going to limit your sales volume. I also think a search option would be useful, say for example you want to filter by drinks that use "mint" as an ingredient. The supplies section is completely useless, and doesn't seem to be developed by anyone who's actually worked in the industry. Otherwise it's a nice pocket reference. It's obviously not all encompassing, for example I went to search for "hot toddy" and there is not a recipe for what is a fairly common drink.

**Developer response:** Hi and thanks for the review!
Please note that you absolutely can search for drinks that use mint. Pull down on any of the lists in the Drink Library and you’ll see the search box. 
Also: Hot toddy is one of my favorite drinks and it’s been in the system since day one!

### 5/5 — Love this app!

*2022-12-11*

This is such a great app. It keeps track of not only my favorite cocktail recipes but also keeps track of what cocktails I can make with what I currently have available in my bar!

### 5/5 — Awesome app

*2022-11-04, version 1.52*

It’s great I use it at least once a week for recipes

### 5/5 — How Great

*2022-05-29, version 1.52*

I have been negligent in not giving this app its well deserved five stars.

It makes life so much more enjoyable, just being able to mix a drink correctly, and to try out new ones.

Thanks.  I’m now in my so called ‘golden years’ and want to give you the SHOUT OUT that you deserve.

Thanks for making life more enjoyable! Thanks

### 5/5 — Just the way it should be

*2022-01-17*

Selective, tasteful, well-designed app with an interactive feature that I will be trying out tonight

### 5/5 — I really like what I see!

*2021-12-22*

After reviewing a number of app reviews, I bought this one a couple of days ago and made my first drink. I really like what I see so far. I would absolutely give this app a 5 star rating if it would give me the ability to make notes on a recipe and to add my own recipes/pictures. I would like to tweak the drink recipe I made for my own personal preference. I have a several favorite recipes I’d like to add that are similar to existing recipes, but I can’t see requesting to add it to the list. I do have a couple of recipes others might like, but I don’t have a Twitter account and have no desire to get one. It would be great if requesting the addition of a new drink was easier. Please consider! Thanks! Update: Glad to hear of the upcoming revisions. I’m assuming the “New” tab on the drinks list shows the new drinks received each day, but it doesn’t. The tab is always grayed out. How do I see the daily drinks? If I don’t click on the notification when it’s sent, I’ll never see the new drink sent.

**Developer response:** We're working hard on a new version that will include the ability to customize recipes and add your own!

## Frequently asked questions about bartender.live

### What does bartender.live do?

This app helps you discover cocktail recipes you can make with the ingredients you already have at home. It features a large library of recipes, allows you to save your favorites, and lets you share them with others.

### How many cocktail recipes are available?

The app boasts over a thousand cocktail recipes, with new ones being added frequently. This extensive collection ensures you'll always find something new to try.

### Is bartender.live free to use?

Yes, the app is completely free to use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, making it a straightforward and cost-free experience for users.

### Can I share recipes with friends?

Absolutely. You can easily send recipes to your friends or post them directly to social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

### What are some common use cases for this app?

This app is perfect for when you want to make a cocktail but aren't sure what to create with your current ingredients. It's also great for exploring new drinks, learning about their origins, and sharing your favorite recipes with others.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3.0 — 2026-08-31

Your bar, updated from the recipe you are reading.

- Every ingredient on a cocktail now has a switch. Flip it and that bottle joins My Bar, and your "I Can Make" and "Almost" lists follow along.
- An A to Z index down the side of the Drinks and My Bar lists.
- The new-drinks badge now appears on the New list itself, not only on the tab. Thanks to the reader who wrote in to say it was a mystery.
- Search matches the beginning of words, so "Mai Tai" finds Mai Tais instead of every recipe that happens to say "cocktail." Accents no longer matter either.
- When a drink is one bottle away, that bottle is now named for everyone.

Cheers!

### 2.2.4 — 2026-08-22

Faster, and easier to find what you want.

- Search now matches ingredient names, and multi-word searches combine terms, so "Gin Campari" finds Negronis.
- New Almost teasers show how close a drink is when you are browsing the full library.
- New installs open with the whole library already loaded, and lists load their images instantly.
- The widget now shows your latest drink even when you are offline.
- Fixes an issue where Top Shelf status could carry over from another install.

Cheers!

### 2.2.2 — 2026-08-12

Speed. This update makes bartender.live feel instant:

- New installs open with the full drink library already loaded - no first-launch wait.
- Drink lists and cards now load their images instantly and cache them, so scrolling is smoother and uses less data.
- The widget shows your latest drink even when you are offline.

Cheers!

### 2.2.1 — 2026-08-11

Introduces Top Shelf, a one-time unlock for the extras: the Almost filter, Home Screen widgets, the daily cocktail suggestion, only-makeable suggestions, and custom favorite icons. Customers who bought the app when it was paid are Founders: everything is unlocked automatically, forever. Cheers!

### 2.2.0 — 2026-08-04

bartender.live is now free to download. Everything you love stays free: the full drink library, unlimited My Bar tracking, and I Can Make drink matching.

New: Top Shelf, a one-time unlock for the extras - the Almost filter, Home Screen widgets, the daily cocktail suggestion, only-makeable suggestions, and custom favorite icons.

Bought the app when it was paid? You are a Founder: every Top Shelf feature is yours automatically, forever. Look for the new Founder badge on your Home screen, and thank you.

Also in this release: new favorite icon styles, sharper Dark Mode controls, and assorted fixes.

Cheers!

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## More apps by Jacket Industries, LLC

- [martinis.live](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/martinislive/id1414546980)
- [Kid.Safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kidsafari/id1450022472)
- [Kid Safari Concentration](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kid-safari-concentration/id1450865440)
- [Essential Cocktails](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-cocktails/id1534791373)
- [Safari Matching](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safari-matching/id1667702983)

All apps by Jacket Industries, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1126517950

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*