How a Virtual Beer Became the App Store's First Viral Hit

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-25

In July 2008, Steve Jobs and Apple were gearing up for the launch of the App Store. Jobs told The New York Times, "The quality and the sophistication of the applications you can write for the iPhone is in a different class." He wasn't wrong—and one app proved it in the most unexpected way. The App Store launched with over 500 apps, carefully curated to show off the iPhone's latest tech, like the accelerometer. There were games, productivity tools, social networks, and apps that simply demonstrated what the device could do. Among them, one stood out: an app that made your phone look like a glass of beer. In this article, we dive into the story behind iBeer, the magician who created it, and how a virtual beer became a defining example of the early App Store. ### The magic behind iBeer The person behind iBeer was Steve Sheraton, a magician and creator of technology-based illusions. Before the iPhone, Sheraton had already experimented with turning a mobile device into a convincing virtual drink. He created E-spresso, a video trick that made the device appear to contain a cup of coffee. The iPhone, however, gave him something the Palm Pilot didn't have: an accelerometer. Rather than simply displaying a video of a drink, Sheraton could make the illusion react to the way the phone was being held. Tilt the device and the liquid would move with it. Turn it far enough and the beer would appear to pour towards the edge of the screen. A simple idea, but the effect was remarkably convincing for 2008. Before the App Store existed, Sheraton had already found an audience. He uploaded a video of the iPhone "beer-drinking" illusion to YouTube, where it attracted millions of views. People wanted to know how they could get the trick themselves, so Sheraton began selling the video file for just over $2, reportedly making a few thousand dollars a day at its peak. As Apple prepared the App Store for launch, iBeer was a perfect demonstration of the iPhone's capabilities. The app could use the accelerometer, touchscreen, and high-quality display while requiring almost no explanation. You didn't need to understand what an accelerometer was. Someone could simply hand you an iPhone, tilt it towards their mouth, and pretend to drink it. When the App Store opened on July 10, 2008, iBeer was among its first applications. Sheraton kept the same price and, according to his later accounts, the app quickly reached the top of the App Store charts. ### The copycats arrive The success of iBeer also demonstrated something else about the new App Store: if an idea worked, it could be copied very quickly. Later in 2008, Molson Coors, the Canadian-American multinational drink and brewing company, released iPint, a free application featuring a remarkably similar virtual beer. Unlike iBeer, however, iPint was effectively an advertising vehicle for Carling beer. Sheraton and his company, Hottrix, objected to the similarities and eventually took legal action. The dispute highlighted one of the strange realities of the early App Store. A developer could create something seemingly trivial, distribute it to millions of people, and suddenly find themselves competing with major corporations. It was a sign of just how quickly the economics of software were changing. ### Why iBeer mattered Looking back at iBeer today, it's tempting to dismiss it as little more than a novelty app. In many ways, that's exactly what it was. It didn't make you more productive, help you navigate, or connect you with friends. It made your phone look like a pint of beer. But that was also its appeal. In 2008, the smartphone was still something new and slightly magical. The idea that a phone could respond to how you tilted it, display convincing graphics, and entertain you in a simple, playful way was revolutionary. iBeer captured that spirit. It was a tiny taste of what was possible—and it showed that even the simplest ideas could go viral. > "iBeer was a perfect demonstration of the iPhone's capabilities." For developers, iBeer was a wake-up call. It proved that the App Store could turn a fun experiment into a global phenomenon overnight. And for users, it was a reminder that technology could be fun, not just functional. So next time you see a silly app go viral, remember iBeer—the virtual beer that started it all.