The best alcohol delivery service are a necessity for quarantine life. They can bring us liquor, wine and beer to our doorsteps, so we need never to venture out to the store. Out: Netflix and chill (with a date). In: Netflix and chilled cocktail (solo).
The best alcohol delivery services drop off orders within the day to major metropolitan areas and many offer ground shipping. And with Uber is looking to shake up the industry with its recent $1.1 billion purchase of Drizly.
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All online alcohol orders must be ordered and received by an adult who is 21 years of age or older. But bear in mind that some states have tighter restrictions than others, so getting alcohol delivery depends on where you live. Certain states don’t allow alcohol delivery at all, while certain cities or regions have further limitations. In most states, wine delivery is acceptable, but several states (including Alabama, Oklahoma and Utah) ban liquor delivery.
Then again, during the COVID-19 pandemic, local areas have loosened laws; for example, New York City began allowing restaurants to offer alcoholic beverages for takeout or delivery. There’s no one-stop place to peruse the laws in every state, so as you shop with the best alcohol delivery services, be sure to check the availability of shipment to your location.
Keep reading for our list of the best alcohol delivery services.
What are the best alcohol delivery services?
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The best alcohol delivery services will bring the booze you want — be it spirits, wine, beer or all of the above — right to your home in a timely manner. Some ship boxes to you monthly, while others offer same-day delivery, just like Instacart or Postmates. However, those two services have been slammed with demand recently, so we found alternatives you can try.
At the top spot on our list of best alcohol delivery services is Drizly, which was just bought by Uber. It's an online marketplace for local retailers, which means you’re shopping at the liquor store or beer emporium around the corner. They sell every kind of alcohol beverage you could want, as well as mixers, snacks and ice. And in many cities and areas, they can deliver your order within the hour (though things may be slower due to pandemic-related demand and staffing shortages).
Next on the list is a spot for oenophiles: Wine.com boasts the biggest online selection of wines, and you can shop by region, varietal or price, and check out ratings and recommendations. Since you’re stuck at home, this is a great time to try new and different bottles from around the world. Wine.com’s shipping speed and prices vary, depending on how much you order and how fast you want your vino.
For beer drinkers, Craftshack offers thousands of cans and bottles. The site partners with local shops to sell quality craft brews and ships to most states.
Now may be the time to try a wine subscription club and Winc and Firstleaf both feature wonderful wines at good value. Take their quizzes to determine your palate and preferences and they’ll do the rest, shipping bottles every month that they think you’ll enjoy.
The best alcohol delivery services right now
Drizly is an alcohol delivery service (now owned by Uber) that partners with more than 2,200 liquor retailers across the country, so you can shop the shelves of your local store online. You can buy beer, wine and liquor, as well as mixers, soda and snacks. Since you’re purchasing from actual stores, the selection varies, but you can find both well-known brands as well as more artisanal products.
As you’re shopping, Drizly tells you which store will ship the item. When you check out, they give you an ETA on delivery. And due to social distancing rules, Drizly has instituted contactless ID scanning and drop-off. If you’re able to get local delivery, you can receive your order as quickly as an hour. If you don’t live in one of the 180 markets served locally, you can still order up to a case to be shipped to you for a flat rate if you live in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
Wine.com boasts that it has the biggest online wine selection, ranging from critically acclaimed bottles from top wine-makers to unique, small-batch offerings from all over the world. You can shop by region, varietal, rating and price, or peruse curated lists by experts, take quizzes or even have a virtual wine tasting. And Wine.com is offering a deal to new customers — get $20 off an order of at least $100 with the code NEW2020.
Wine.com ships to most states (see restrictions in the intro) and shipping rates vary by the size of your order and how quickly you want it. If you sign up for the StewardShip program for $49 per year, you get free shipping with no minimum order. You can also pick up your order at one of 10,000 locations (including participating Walgreens and Safeways) but double check to see if the location near you is still active during the pandemic.
Like Drizly, Craftshack partners with smaller, local bottle shops and gives them an online marketplace, where you can browse thousands of beers. The company’s team of hopheads find stores that sell everything from acclaimed craft favorites to unique, small-batch brews. Craftshack also features both liquor, ciders and seltzers like White Claw. Products come with star ratings and reviews from verified buyers.
Craftshack ships across the country except for five states and doesn’t ship to PO boxes. You pay a flat rate for a small box (12 cans or 6 bottles) or large (24 cans or 12 bottles) and you can mix and match within the box. During the pandemic, most orders will be fulfilled within 6-8 business days, then arrive 5-8 days later. Craftshack also has a loyalty program where members earn points that can be redeemed for dollar-amount vouchers.
Wine lovers should seriously consider Winc, the first personalized wine subscription club on the scene. Now, vino clubs are all the rage, but Winc is still among the best alcohol delivery services you can find. Take a six-question quiz to determine your palate and Winc will tailor a box of four wines (all reds, whites or a mix) to send you. You can also customize your box.
If you continue as a member, Winc will send you new bottles every month. Then, you can rate them so the service learns more about your preferences. As a member, la carte prices start at $13 per bottle, though new members get $20 off their first order. Order four or more bottles and shipping is free. Members can skip a month or cancel their plan at any time.
Wine club Firstleaf also starts you off with a quiz, much like Winc, but it’s more involved: There are 14 questions and they get pretty specific about the types of wine you’ve enjoyed in the past. Once you take the quiz and become a member, Firstleaf curates a box of six bottles that cost a total of $39.95 with free shipping. After that, a 6-bottle order costs $79.98, plus $9.95 shipping and tax.
Once you’ve gotten your introductory order, you can tweak your preferences on wine and the frequency of shipments. After you’ve sampled the wines, you then rate them so that Firstleaf’s algorithm can send wines to better match your tastes. And Firstleaf’s website has a blog with info about each of the varietals, so you can learn more about what you’re sipping.
Minibar Delivery teams up with local shops to deliver liquor, wine and beer, much like Drizly. And in these trying times, fast and reliable alcohol delivery is as necessary as groceries. Minibar recently noted that its overall sales went up 139%, with an increase in average order size up by 22%. The service is available in 50 major cities across over a dozen states, some of which allow ground shipping.
Download the free mobile app, which makes shopping for your booze simple and easy. And as you shop, you can see which store will deliver the item you want, as well as the accompanying delivery fee (in many cases, free). Plus, you can order ice and mixers. Minibar also offers cocktail recipes, so you can acquire some bartending skills while you’re staying at home.
If you’re a beer drinker who misses getting a draft from the bar, Hopsy may be the best alcohol delivery service for you. Enjoy tap beer from the comfort of your own home with Hopsy’s miniature kegs and the SUB Home Tap, a Keurig-like countertop machine that keeps the brew chilled and fresh. A mini keg holds 67 ounces of beer, about a six-pack’s worth. Hopsy partners with craft breweries to deliver both popular beers as well as exclusives right to your doorstep.
You will have to purchase the SUB home tap, but Hopsy has several deals that include it. For $59.99, you get four mini kegs, the tap, free shipping on the order and a three-month membership. For $99.99 on top of that, a Hopsy Gold subscription comes with a year of free shipping and membership.
Saucey, like Drizly and Minibar, partners with local liquor stores — just in fewer places. Still, if you live in one of the dozen major cities available, it’s one of the best alcohol delivery services thanks to its lightning fast drop-offs (as quick as 30 minutes). They sell wine, beer and liquor. The best part of an online alcohol marketplace like Saucey is that you can compare the different stores’ prices to get the best deal on your vodka, merlot or Bud Light.
There’s no order minimum and no delivery fees stacked on top of your order. As Saucey says on its site, the price you see is the price you pay. And Saucey has an iOS and Android app, so you can order easily from your phone. Plus, they sell mixers, snacks and tobacco, so your solo quarantine party will be lit.
Look, we all may be stuck at home but that doesn’t mean we can’t drink the finest alcohol that can be delivered to our doorsteps. Reserve Bar sells premium wine and spirits, including limited edition and rare bottles. For all the high rollers out there who are living that lux quarantine life, you can stock up on top-shelf Scotch, rye, mezcal, cognac, gin and more. Plus, there’s high-end champagne and aged wines. Oh, and you can get custom engraved bottles and barware, like Waterford Crystal and Billykirk leather accessories.
As you shop, each item has an extremely detailed description and a list of the states it can be shipped to. And while ReserveBar is on the pricey side, the site runs mark-down deals on bottles and promotions (right now, you can get $20 off 4+ bottles with the code STOCKUP20).
How to choose the best alcohol delivery service for you
When choosing the best alcohol delivery service, you’ll want to consider four major factors. The first is availability in your local area, since different states and regions have varying laws around alcohol delivery.
The second is selection. Does the alcohol delivery service carry the kind of booze you want to drink? If you’re more of a wine person, you may want to join a monthly subscription club. If you’re a beer lover, you may want to shop at an online craft brew emporium. Same deal with spirits (and whether you want regular brands or more exclusive labels).
The third factor is delivery speed. How quickly do you want to get your alcohol order? If you want it same-day, you should consider services that partner with local stores.
And of course, we haven’t forgotten about price, both for the alcohol and for the delivery or shipping. If you’re willing to splurge, you can get faster delivery and better booze. For the more budget conscious, you may need to plan ahead for longer shipping times.
