Bar Necessities vs The Bourbon Network
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bar Necessities
This app helps you discover cocktails you can make with ingredients you already own. It offers AI-powered suggestions, recipe browsing, and the ability to track your drink-making journey. Build custom cocktail menus and explore a vast library of recipes.
- AI bartender for personalized drink suggestions
- Inventory management to see makeable cocktails
- Browse 240+ curated recipes
- Build and share custom cocktail menus
- Track drink ratings and progress
- Daily cocktail suggestions via widget
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Bar Necessities is a cocktail reference for people who care about what they're drinking. COCKTAILS 255 recipes, each traced to a source you can check and never generated by AI. The IBA's official canon. Modern craft classics like the Bensonhurst, Greenpoint, Single Village Fix, and Paper Plane. Lost classics worth reviving. Plus two dozen standout non-alcoholic drinks. YOUR BAR Tell Bar Necessities what's on your shelf and see every drink you can make right now — based on what you actually have, not what you wish you had. Mark bottles in when you open them and out when you finish them, and your makeable list stays accurate. BAR BUILDER See which ingredients unlock the most new cocktails, whether you're starting from scratch or growing the bar you already have. OPEN BAR Send your guests a live link to everything you can make right now. Mark out the limes mid-party and the guest menu updates on its own. Cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks appear together, so anyone who isn't drinking can find something without having to ask. COCKTAIL MENU Curate a short lineup for the night and share it digitally as a clean, printed-style menu. JIG Jig is the AI bartender. He knows what's in your bar, so his suggestions are grounded in what you can actually make. He'll talk you through a recipe or argue for a substitution. Remembers what you liked. Has opinions. (Free each month; subscribe to Jig Pro for more.) Sourced, not invented. Built around the bar you actually have. Jig Pro is an auto-renewing subscription, available monthly or yearly. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://barnecessities.app/privacy
The Bourbon Network
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The Bourbon Network is the fastest way to discover bourbon drops near you. Built for bourbon hunters, this app helps you find rare bottles, track local store activity, and share real-time check-ins with other enthusiasts. Know what’s on the shelf before you walk in. FEATURES: • Discover stores carrying bourbon in your area • Follow bottles like Stagg, Weller, and Pappy's • See real-time check-ins and bottle drops • Share photos and notes from store visits • Favorite your go-to stores • Build your reputation as a bourbon hunter Whether you’re chasing rare allocations or just looking for your next great bottle, The Bourbon Network gives you the edge. This is Bourbon Hunting, Refined. --- Disclaimer: The Bourbon Network does not sell alcohol. This app is a community platform for sharing information about bourbon availability. Must be 21+ to use.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Bourbon Network at none against Bar Necessities's 2. The Bourbon Network also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Bar Necessities sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. The Bourbon Network asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bar Necessities | The Bourbon Network |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Jeffrey Surette | Cali Bourbon Club LLC |
In-app purchases
Bar Necessities
- Monthly$1.991 Month
- Yearly$19.991 Year
The Bourbon Network
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bar Necessities free?
Is The Bourbon Network free?
Do Bar Necessities or The Bourbon Network have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bar Necessities or The Bourbon Network?
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