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Next Glass takes the guesswork out of beer and wine shopping (update)

Have you ever walked into a beer or wine store only to be overwhelmed by the vast selection, including many options you'd never even heard of? We've all been there, but there's a new app that should help recommend options you've yet to taste. Next Glass uses your phone's camera to scan a bottle before offering you a score as to whether or not you'd like it. Based on ratings submitted the first time the app gets fired up, and scores continually added along the way, the software uses its so-called Genome Cellar to sift through a beer or wine's chemistry and predict your taste preferences. While you're browsing the shelves, the app can be used in beer, wine or a "both" modes for targeted queries, should the need arise. Once a bottle is scanned, you can also peruse to your friends list to see if others will dig your selection at dinner, add specific tasting notes and leverage the GlassMatch tool to find similar beverages. Ready to give it a go? Next Glass is free in both iTunes and Google Play.

Update: When I mentioned chemistry, I meant actual science. Here's how the folks at Next Glass explain the inner workings:

Next Glass has developed the world's first Genome Cellar, an extensive database that contains the chemical makeup -- or "DNA" -- of tens of thousands of wines and beers. By looking at each bottle on a molecular level, Next Glass defines a unique taste profile for every bottle by analyzing thousands of chemical elements.

To arrive at a personalized score, Next Glass bring in some heavy duty chemistry equipment that analyzes the composition of various wines and beers.