It’s been five months since Cascade Brewery Co. launched their free iPhone app the Cascade Brewer’s Nose and since then almost 27,000 beers have been scanned and more than 3,000 tasting notes submitted by beer fans all across Australia. With brewer’s everywhere wanting to be part of one of the country’s most popular beer applications, the Cascade Brewer’s Nose has now been updated with even more brews taking the total to more than 600 Australian and international beers.

Not only are there brand new beers to scan but the app itself is now smaller in size making it even easier to download. This means that no matter where you are you can now download the app on the go without needing a WiFi connection.

The Cascade Brewer’s Nose app, which currently has a five star rating, uses unique barcode scanning technology, and features tasting notes and food matches for each and every brew while allowing users to keep track of every beer they’ve tried.

The Brewer’s Nose app includes information on a huge range of Australian craft beers, as well as the Cascade range and imports

A Cascade spokesperson said of the app update, “The Brewer’s Nose is the first app of its kind, bringing together people of all palates, ages and stages in the beer community in an interactive and engaging environment. The feedback from consumers and brewers has been overwhelmingly positive with many brewers who weren’t included in the first release wanting to make sure they weren’t left out. We want the app to be a comprehensive resource for all beers fans so we are delighted to be able to include new beers in this update.”

The app has also been recognised for its excellence in interactive media innovation, winning two awards at the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association Awards (AIMIA). The app along with the art deco-style ‘brew your own’ Cascade Brewery Co website won in the Best Advertising or Marketing category, and the iPhone app also took out top honours in the Best Mobile Product or Service category at the prestigious awards. More recently, the app along with the ‘Brewed by Feel’ campaign (including the Cascade TVC and website) developed by Droga5, took out first place honours in the latest round of the IAB Creative Showcase competition. These wins signify the innovation of the brand and Cascade’s commitment to offering beer lovers a fun, accessible and interactive forum to pursue their passion for great beer and thirst for knowledge.

The Cascade Brewer’s Nose is the world’s first iPhone app focused on beer to use barcode scanning technology, allowing users to easily scan their beer using the iPhone camera, view videos, read and submit tasting notes and keep a log of the brews they’ve tried to date. By using GPS technology and Facebook Connect, the Cascade iPhone app also allows users to track their beer-loving friends via Facebook, see what brews they have been sampling and where, as well as store a log of the beers they have tried themselves alongside their own tasting notes.

Users can even search for the closest stores, pubs and bars that stock their favourite Cascade beers via GPS technology.

Cascade enlisted the help of local chef, Rodney Dunn of the Agrarian Kitchen in Lachlan, Tasmania and beer writer, Matt Kirkegaard to assist with content development. By combining their expertise, with that of Cascade brewers, Cascade has provided beer fans a Master Brewer in their pocket – the Cascade Brewer’s Nose is a comprehensive guide to all things beer, brewing and food matching.

For beer enthusiasts looking to increase their knowledge and expand their beer tasting repertoire, as well as those keen to explore the increasingly popular world of beer and food matching, Rodney Dunn’s tips include pairing Cascade Pale Ale with Italian pork and fennel sausages and Cascade Stout with good quality dark chocolate.

The Cascade Brewer’s Nose app is available free from the Apple iPhone App Store.

[*I issue the obvious disclaimer about my involvement in the development of the iPhone app. Still, I recommend it highly and think it’s a fantastic beer resource…Ed.]