Sending cutesy virtual crap to your friends on Facebook is so 2008: dial into the Bartab iPhone app instead and send them cheap, real drinks.
Picking up the tab has never been so painless. Download the free app or go to bartab.com. (Not all your pals have iPhones? There’s an Android version, too).
Pick the person who you want to offer a pint — or Pisco punch or shot of Peppermint Schapps — and the bar where you want to send it, pay a buck and pow: your friend shows their iPhone screen to the bartender at a participating water hole and gets a drink. They also have to pay a buck to redeem the drink coupon, it’s apparently due to some annoying state regulations.
All alone and need a drink? Bartab lets you send your lonely self a libation, too. Either way, the resulting brew shows up as sent on your Facebook status, but nosy bosses or disapproving teetotalers won’t know whether you redeemed the drink or not.
It’s currently available in at 100 bars in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with another 20 cities available by the end of the year.
Before you plan to go on a seriously cheap bender: keep in mind you can claim one drink at each bar. Energetic bar hoppers with lots of friends could still do some damage, you can hit up to 10 bars and get 10 drinks for $10 in a single day.
