Most of us who enjoy good drinks have been there.
You buy a bottle you really like, tell yourself you'll remember it, and a few months later you're standing in a shop thinking, “I know I've had this before… but was it good?” Or a friend asks for a recommendation and you scroll through old photos, messages, or just rely on a vague feeling that something with a black label was decent.
Our drinks lives end up scattered everywhere, bottles on shelves, photos on phones, notes in group chats, memories doing far too much work.
That's where the idea of a digital drinks cabinet comes in.
What is a digital drinks cabinet?
A digital drinks cabinet is exactly what it sounds like: a simple way to keep track of the bottles you own, the ones you've enjoyed, and the ones you want to try next, all in one place.
Think of it as the digital version of your shelf at home:
- What's currently in your cabinet
- Which bottles you'd happily buy again
- What's on your "one day I'll try that" list
No spreadsheets. No tasting exams. Just a record of what you drink.
Why it's better than memory alone
Relying on memory works… until it doesn't.
A digital drinks cabinet helps because:
- You don't forget great bottles you've enjoyed
- You avoid accidentally rebuying ones you didn't love
- You can recommend drinks with confidence
- You start to notice patterns in what you actually like
Maybe you realise you keep coming back to smoky whiskies. Or that you tend to prefer brighter, citrusy gins. Or that tequila is slowly replacing vodka in your cabinet without you even noticing.
None of that needs expertise, it just needs a place to live.
Sharing is where it gets interesting
Drinks are meant to be shared, even if the bottle itself isn't.
One of the best parts of a digital cabinet is being able to share it. Not as a flex, but as a conversation starter. Friends can see what you're drinking, what you're enjoying right now, and what you're curious about next.
It's a much more natural way to discover new bottles than scrolling reviews from people you don't know. Seeing what real people you trust are actually drinking is far more useful than star ratings alone.
Who is this actually for?
A digital drinks cabinet isn't just for collectors or experts.
It's for:
- Whisky drinkers who know what they like, even if they don't know why
- Gin and cocktail fans who enjoy trying new bottles
- Rum and tequila drinkers exploring beyond the basics
- Anyone slowly building a home bar over time
You don't need to know distilleries, regions, or tasting note terminology. You just need to enjoy good drinks and want to remember them.
Where The Distillery App fits in
This is exactly why we built The Distillery App.
It gives you a simple way to:
- Add bottles you own
- Mark favourites you love
- Keep a wishlist for what's next
- Share your cabinet with others
Nothing more complicated than that. No pressure to review everything. No expectation to be an expert.
A better way to enjoy what you drink
A digital drinks cabinet isn't about collecting everything or chasing the rarest bottles.
It's about remembering what you enjoyed, understanding your own taste a little better, and discovering your next great bottle through people, not algorithms.
If you already enjoy good drinks, a digital drinks cabinet just helps you enjoy them more.