Jumping in the car for beer, wine and hard liquor may soon be as obsolete as making a call from a phone booth, thanks to a tankful of local and national alcohol delivery services. Boston-based Drizly.com, the most wide-ranging and innovative of the pack, started in 2012 when, during their quest for a brew, homebody drinking buddies and co-founders Nick Rellas and Justin Robinson discovered that alcohol delivery was legal – provided you adhered to each city’s and state’s liquor laws. The millennials developed an app, along with online ordering, which makes shopping for Chardonnay as convenient as procuring a box of diapers. Drizly, which uses local retailers for suppliers – each hires their own drivers – now operates in 40 cities across the US and Canada, including Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Middletown.
Despite the website’s hip sensibility, Drizly takes a hard line on underage drinking. Drivers use a mobile ID reader and verification system similar to that found in bars, restaurants and liquor stores to check purchaser validity and age and refuse to complete any suspect transactions.
With Drizly and the following delivery services, prices vary, with a minimum order set by each retailer.
- Refill, currently located in Columbus, has plans to soon expand to Cleveland and Cincinnati, it can be accessed through both its website and app.
www.alcoholtogo.com
- Vroom Delivery, a Cincinnati-based service, offers hundreds of beers and wines from smartphone and desktop. Orders can be on-demand or up to10 days in advance.
www.vroomdelivery.com
- Amazon Prime Now recently added beer and wine delivery options for Prime Now members in central Ohio and Cincinnati.
http://primenow.amazon.com
- A number of restaurants, wine shops and other individual venues also will deliver wine, beer and even spirits to you at home. Google alcohol delivery and your city for a list of possibilities in your area.
