How Alcohol Delivery Works and 6 Apps To Get It Delivered

Sometimes, there’s just that spontaneous need for alcohol.

Maybe it’s a Saturday night house party running low on booze, or it could just be a Monday.

Whatever the reason, most people can agree that no one wants to leave the house to run to the liquor store on these occasions.

If you’re stuck wondering if you could press a button and have your favorite liquor delivered to your house, we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we will discuss how liquor and beer delivery works and various apps to order through.

Can You Get Alcohol Delivered?

The answer is yes! You can absolutely get your favorite alcoholic beverage delivered straight to your house…

…just as long as you don’t live in a state that prohibits the delivery of alcohol.

Fortunately, there are only six of them.

Here is a list of states that do and don’t allow liquor delivery.

How Does Alcohol Delivery Work?

You might be wondering how a person might go about having alcohol delivered.

Some grocery stores may provide the service directly, but most don’t.

Here, we’ll break down how it works and what you have to do to get alcohol delivered to your house.

1. Meet the Delivery Driver

First of all, you don’t want a sketchy, third-party site delivering your alcohol.

Instead, you’ll want a reputable delivery service to transport your liquor.

We have a list of the top six of these services later in the article.

Second, suppose you’re the one who is buying the alcohol.

In that case, you’re going to have to be the one who meets the delivery person when the order is delivered.

This is so that the driver can confirm you are of age based on the proof of age you submitted to the delivery service.

2. Provide Proof of Age

You’ll have to verify your age by providing proof of age.

All buyers of alcohol must be 21 years or older.

Some delivery apps will have you upload a photo of an I.D. such as your driver’s license to do this.

This ID will typically be available to the driver, but with all sensitive information blurred out.

They will only be able to see your photo and date of birth.

Other services will have you present a valid form of I.D. directly to the delivery driver.

The moral of the story here is to always have a valid form of I.D. ready with a clear photo of yourself and your date of birth.

Can You Get Alcohol and Food Delivered Together?

If you’re ordering through an app that delivers both food and alcohol, then you’re likely going to be able to order them together.

You’ll still have to follow the alcohol buying procedures as previously mentioned, but you will also be able to add food and other beverages to your order.

The same goes for restaurants and grocers.

The only apps you won’t be able to order non-alcohol items from are services that exclusively sell and deliver liquor.

Which Apps do Alcohol Deliver?

Unsure of what apps deliver alcohol?

Or maybe you’re overwhelmed by the sheer amount of services available and aren’t sure which one to use.

We’ll break down our top six for you.

This is our list of the best alcohol delivery services.

1. Drizly

Drizly is an online alcohol delivery service that partners with various retail stores to bring alcohol straight to your doorstep.

Founded in 2012, it’s currently one of the most popular alcohol delivery services.

How Does It Work?

You can use the Drizly app to order liquor from local retail stores.

In addition, you can choose which qualifying store you wish to purchase alcohol from and browse available products.

Once you provide proof of age and complete your order, Drizly will deliver your order in about 60 minutes.

What Do They Deliver?

Drizly is an alcohol-based delivery company, but they have other options available such as non-alcohol beverages and snacks.

Where Do They Deliver?

Drizly delivers in all states where alcohol delivery is legal.

They also only deliver alcohol from retailers they partner with.

This likely won’t be an issue because Drizly partners with over 4,000 retailers.

How Much Does It Cost?

There is a delivery fee that runs roughly $5, a service fee of $1.99, and a ground shipping cost determined by the retailer.

2. Saucey

Saucey is another alcohol-based delivery service that delivers alcohol from local retailers.

They aren’t quite as big as Drizly, but they provide cheaper and faster service.

How Does It Work?

Saucy claims to have a 30 minute delivery time and delivers alcohol from local stores based on location.

It functions similarly to Drizly, where you add products to your cart through an app.

Unlike other apps, you’ll provide your driver’s license directly to the delivery driver.

The delivery driver will scan your I.D. with a scanner to ensure you are 21 years or older.

What Do They Deliver?

Saucy only delivers alcohol, mainly wine, beer, vodka, tequila, and whiskey.

Where Do They Deliver?

Saucy delivers liquor to most places in the U.S. where the delivery of alcohol is legal.

Their site emphasizes operation in and around major U.S. cities like San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

How Much Does It Cost?

Saucey charges a $5.99 delivery fee and a small cart fee that depends on location.

3. Instacart

Instacart is an online grocery delivery service that operates in the U.S. and Canada.

They pick up groceries you order online from partnered grocers and deliver them to your house.

How Does It Work?

To have alcohol delivered via Instacart, select which spirit you would like to add to your cart along with any other non-alcoholic products and checkout/pay as normal.

Similar to Saucey, the delivery driver will scan your I.D. upon delivery.

What Do They Deliver?

Instacart delivers everything available at your local grocery store, including everything from alcohol to fresh produce.

Where Do They Deliver?

They deliver within the United States and Canada.

How Much Does It Cost?

Instacart’s cost depends on the individual store you are ordering from.

There is a flat $3.99 delivery fee for orders over $35, but there are other potential fees such as a heavy fee, service fee, long-distance fee, alcohol fee, and more.

These fees are displayed at checkout on the app and are dependent on how much your local store charges.

4. DoorDash

Doordash is a popular online food delivery service where you can order food from participating locations and have a contracted driver deliver it.

Doordash, along with the next three entries on this list, has seen an immense rise in popularity following the Covid-19 pandemic.

How Does It Work?

You can first choose to filter locations that sell alcohol on the Doordash app.

After you complete your order, you will be prompted to upload a valid photo I.D. to the app.

Once you’ve been verified, you won’t have to do this process again.

Keep in mind that only your photo and birth date will be available to the delivery driver.

What Do They Deliver?

Doordash delivers food and drinks from restaurants they are partnered with.

Given their size, most large chains are associated with them.

Where Do They Deliver?

Doordash operates in the U.S., some U.S. territories, Japan, Canada, and Australia.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Doordash delivery fee will be around $6.99, and the service fee can vary, usually falling around $7.99 – $11.99.

5. Uber Eats

Uber Eats is an online food delivery service stemming from the original contract taxi service, Uber.

There’s a huge debate on which is better – UberEats or Doordash. Here’s an article comparing the two from a customer’s point of view.

How Does It Work?

You order food and liquor from local participating restaurants through the UberEats app as per usual.

You will then provide a valid form of I.D. to the delivery driver so that they can verify your age.

What Do They Deliver?

Ubereats Delivers food and drinks from participating restaurants.

Where Do They Deliver?

UberEats delivers in over 45 countries, including the U.S.

How Much Does It Cost?

The service fee is roughly 15% of your orders subtotal.

There is also a delivery fee based on distance, busy hours, and priority, ranging from $0.49 to $7.99.

There is a small order fee of $2 for orders under $10 and $3 for orders under $15.

6. GrubHub

Grubhub is another online food ordering and delivery service.

It functions similarly to Doordash and UberEats, so which one you choose is entirely up to your preferences.

How Does It Work?

Like Doordash and Ubereats, you will order alcohol alongside your food through the Grubhub app.

The delivery driver will check your I.D. upon arrival.

What Do They Deliver?

Grubhub delivers food and alcohol from local, participating restaurants.

Grubhub only delivers liquor if it is purchased alongside a food order.

Where Do They Deliver?

Grubhub operates in about 25 different countries worldwide, including the U.S.

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost of Grubhub is based on how much your meal cost and the restaurant you are ordering from.

Here is a breakdown of the potential costs of Grubhub.

How Can You Qualify to Deliver Alcohol?

Are you interested in delivering alcohol yourself?

Here’s what you need to know:

Proof of Age

The first step is verifying your age.

If you are delivering alcohol through a contract delivery service such as Doordash or UberEats, you’re required to provide proof that you’re over the age of 21.

Each business operates differently, so your application process will vary based on which one you use.

If you have your own alcohol delivery service, you will need to ensure your retail license qualifies for selling alcohol and that any delivery drivers of your business are over 21.

Alcohol Training

To handle and deliver alcohol, you may have to take a ServSafe course for alcohol.

The certification varies from state to state and requires you to pass a proctored examination at the end.

This training course teaches you proper alcohol handling, food safety laws, and other information such as how to identify signs of intoxication.

These are some common signs of intoxication to look out for:

• Flushed or red face
• Loss of coordination
• Bloodshot eyes
• Impaired speech
• Aggression
• Unresponsiveness

If anyone you deliver alcohol to shows any of these signs, you have the right to refuse delivery.

In addition, most businesses have a policy against selling alcohol to heavily intoxicated people.

Alcohol Delivery FAQs

These are some frequently asked questions about alcohol delivery:

Start Ordering Your Alcohol Online Now

With the world shifting to online delivery, there’s no reason not to order all your alcohol online.

Of course, you might have to pay a few extra fees, but the convenience is most likely worth it.

Plus, ordering alcohol online helps keep intoxicated people off the road and provides the luxury of not having to do it yourself.

So, what are you waiting for?

Will you be ordering your next wine bottle online?

Let us know what you think below.