Who says you can’t find love at the bottom of a glass? One tequila-loving couple did just that, and are now helping others do the same. Their creation is Tequila Matchmaker, a free mobile app that can detect a person’s unique flavor preferences and match them with tequilas that are right for them. The app is now available for iPhone and Android devices.
Tequila Matchmaker makes it possible for users to cut through the marketing hype and discover their own personal taste preferences using a special matching algorithm, similar to that used in the online dating world. Founders (and spouses) Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin met through their love of tequila and have been recognized as tequila specialists for the past several years through their tequila review site, TasteTequila.com.
"Let's face it, paying good money for a tequila you've never tried before is like going on a blind date. Chances are, it won't work out," said Scarlet Sanschagrin. "But with this app in your pocket, trustworthy advice is a finger tap away."
As soon as you use the app to "like" or "rate" tequilas, the algorithm will pick up patterns based on your personal preferences and price sensitivity, and then offer suggestions for other tequilas you should try. The app can also tell you where to find recommended tequilas (in bars, restaurants, or retail stores nearby) by using your phone’s GPS location services.
The Tequila Matchmaker currently lists 2,280 different tequilas from 1,270 brands. It was important to the founders to remain impartial, so development has been funded by sources outside of the tequila and spirits industries.
"We created this app out of our own passion for tequila," said Grover Sanschagrin. "We wanted an unbiased tool for tequila enthusiasts."
Other features of the app include:
• Rating and flavor “fingerprinting” of tequilas from thousands of tequila fans
• A full list of tequila distilleries and the brands made in each
• Inventory lists for tequila bars, restaurants, and retail stores nearest a user
• Current tequila trends, including top rated and most active brands
• Tequila news feed from a variety of sources
• A calendar of tequila-related events from around the world
The Tequila Matchmaker started as a fun and interesting experiment that led the founders from high-tech San Francisco to old-world Mexico, where they lived for 2-years, just so they could study the spirit.
“We wanted to make tequila accessible to more people, and thought we could do that by using the same type of technology at play in the online dating world,” said Grover Sanschagrin. "The results have been surprisingly accurate.”