Dowser

Dowser iPhone Screens

Dowser for iPhone shows you where you can buy booze in Ontario (LCBO, The Beer Store, Grocery Stores) and Quebec (SAQ). One app for two provinces. Oh, and it's free.

OVER 2200 STORES

  • LCBO (+LCBO Agencies in rural areas)
  • Beer Store
  • Grocery Stores
  • Craft Beer Brewers (some locations in Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa)
  • SAQ (+SAQ Agencies in rural areas)

FEATURES

  • Fast: Built-in database provides speedy results
  • Up-to-Date: New stores and opening hours automatically updated
  • Filter by Store: Control which kinds of stores to search for
  • See what stores are open at the tap of a button
  • Store Details: Complete store hours, phone number, address
  • Closing Time Alerts: Use the “Last Call” option to set notifications and never miss a closing time again
  • Holiday Hours: Dowser does its best to provide accurate holiday hours

Dowser is not associated with the LCBO, The Beer Store, the SAQ, or any Ontario grocery stores or craft beer brewers.

Acknowledgments

Dowser initially came to life in the fall of 2013, as an internal company project when I was working at Plank. It would not have technically been possible, or have a slick aesthetic (in my opinion!), without contributions from Patrick McFern and GW Brazier, respectively. And their work was made possible by Plank owner Warren Wilansky, who gave the green light for project hours. While it's now strictly a personal project, Patrick continues to update and maintain the data the app relies on, so an extra thanks for that.

Dowser uses lcboapi.com for its LCBO data.

Support

Drop me a line with any issues or feedback at support@documentone.org.

Readings

What? Readings? About an app? Well, just one. An origin story and cautionary tale, called “The Woman Who Bought Dowser”.

Version History

Latest Version: 3.1

  • Added option to get directions to a store
  • Minor bug fixes

Previous Versions