Beer in the Sun – soon, there might be an app for that

When it comes to beer, few things can lift the spirit higher than enjoying one outside, in the sun. In February, the prospect of warm, after-work beerage is a distant, far away thing – but we can at least think about it. Several years ago, when I used to live in Sydney, many’s the time we’d shelter inside, glad to be out of the baking sun. How times change. Mind you – I once went into a pub in the southernmost reaches of New Zealand that had those towering gas-powered patio heaters inside, to warm customers at the bar. At least Scotland is just bleak in outlook, rather than life-threateningly cold (for the most part).

So, when the sun does shine here, and the temperature rises into the high double digits, beer garden space is at a premium. But where to go? What if the sun is blocked by that pesky new office building? It’s not enough to have a *cough* *readily-printable* list of summer-friendly beers, if there’s nowhere to go to enjoy them. Well, soon, help could be at hand in the form of the Beer in the Sun project. Announced recently for Kickstarter funding, if successful it will take the shape of an app and website that tracks the sun in relation to beer gardens.

Put simply, people will sign up and map where the alfresco drinking spots are in a particular city. Then, the free app will track the position of the sun in relation to these pubs and bars, and let you see which have the sun beaming down on them at any given moment. Alternatively, if you’re in an unfamiliar location, you’ll be directed to the nearest sun-guaranteed beer garden, using your smart-phone. The app will be programmed to include surrounding buildings, so pesky shade shouldn’t be a problem.

It’s still early days, but does sound promising. As long as the app allows for current weather conditions, it should work (there would be nothing worse than staring at virtual sun-filled beer gardens, whilst your city is blanketed in cloud). It will also be interesting to see if the app will include what beers will be on offer at your potential alfresco destination. And crisps, of course. Oh, and most useful of all – will it track wasps?

The Beer in the Sun Project
Website / Twitter Feed