When we compare alcohol delivery apps to a trip to the liquor store, the drink selection is often a key difference. However, there’s a lot of outdated stuff out there, so we’ve checked our guide to keep only the alcohol delivery apps in the USA that still deliver or ship today.
While delivery apps haven’t replaced the corner store as streaming did with video rentals years ago, they enable adults to get many bottles they want to their door.
Want cold beer? There are apps for that. Do you like a particular type of bourbon? There’s an app for that, too. If another app, like Drizly, shuts down, you can bet there’s an app that will replace the service.
The problem is that alcohol delivery rules have often been confusing. Even on this list, many apps are easier to use in one state than another. Yet, the app occupies a handy spot on your phone, so it can be there and bring drinks when you can’t drive.
We checked the pages at each company, which include help centers, app stores, and alcohol pages, to determine the most useful alcohol delivery apps.
Key Takeaways
- Our checks found 15 alcohol delivery apps that still work in the US
- Uber Eats: Took over Drizly’s alcohol orders in 2024
- Gopuff: Fast, as fast as 15 minutes in some areas
- Instacart and Shipt: Best for alcohol with groceries
- ID: You must be 21+ and show a valid ID at the door
- Laws: Rules change by state, and Texas uses TABC permits
Best Alcohol Delivery Apps at a Glance
- DoorDash: Best for everyday orders
- Instacart: Best for alcohol with groceries
- Uber Eats: Best for comparing stores
- Gopuff: Best for late-night orders
- Minibar Delivery: Best for wine and spirits
- ReserveBar: Best for gifts
15 Best Alcohol Delivery Apps in the USA
Knowing the right alcohol delivery apps to download is the key to getting more out of your weekend plans.
Since Drizly closed in 2024, the app stores still offer food, grocery, and liquor apps that deliver alcohol. Whether you need an app for beer, wine, spirits, or gifts, plenty of options are now available.
1. DoorDash
Best for: Everyday orders
Though a more popular choice for food than for drinks, DoorDash alcohol delivery now covers beer, wine, spirits, and seltzers in many areas. Cheers!
It means that most people’s dinner app is no longer just a food option for the night, with the same app able to show nearby liquor stores, wine shops, and markets, as well as let users add mixers and more.
You won’t use it every day, since the store is still the usual way to buy most bottles, but you’ll find it very handy in certain situations once it’s set up. You can use it to restock drinks during long parties when the store is out of reach by car or bus, and to order quickly when guests show up at the house.
The app could do with a faster age check to become the ultimate alcohol app, since for now you still need your ID nearby, but it’s still a must-have for DoorDash users. Learn more in our full list of DoorDash alternatives.
ID check: Upload your ID once at checkout, then show it to the Dasher at the door.
2. Uber Eats
Best for: Comparing stores
The app that took over Drizly’s alcohol service, Uber Eats can be used for food and drinks by users looking to replace Drizly.
A broad delivery app that lists grocery, convenience, and liquor stores to help fill your order, Uber Eats also offers time estimates, store lists, and same-day delivery.
In terms of raw choice, it’s a deep list in Houston. And the fact that you can see Spec’s, Saucey, and Gopuff during a single search to understand where the best price might be sitting is a powerful proposition.
Store search also means that it can show liquor stores in the area and help you piece together the delivery times for your order. You will have to go in and set your delivery address for that to work, though, which won’t be to everyone’s liking.
You will also need to be at least 21 and show a valid ID at the door, so it’s not well-suited to contactless drop-offs. The store lists can vary from one address to the next, either, so it’s worth checking your own area as a buyer before counting on it.
ID check: You must be at least 21 and show a valid ID at delivery.
3. Instacart
Best for: Alcohol with groceries
We know from reading the help pages at Instacart that alcohol comes from select retailers alongside the groceries, and, helpfully, the mix between the two comes in clutch.
We’re sure plenty will appreciate the single basket, which puts the wine next to the cheese after a quick age check with a photo ID at the door. Yet, there’s a catch with the alcohol swaps; a shopper can only replace a missing bottle with another alcohol item, and you can’t add a new bottle as a special request.
Instead, the grocery stores Instacart works with are the best part of keeping the app downloaded on your phone. You can grab mixers and ice, as you’ll usually run low on those, but you can also look at the store’s choice of beer, wine, or those spirits mentioned above.
ID check: A shopper scans your photo ID at delivery, and some states also need a signature.
4. Gopuff
Best for: Late-night orders
Many find this app while looking for a series of late-night options that would replicate a store run. While you can mix three or four different ones for the best selection, Gopuff handles most of the job in one app.
It will deliver beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, and mixers and allow you to add alcohol-free drinks to your order, all in one place. The app’s speed is strong, as fast as 15 minutes.
If you’re out of drinks but don’t want to make a second trip, this will solve your problem, even if the hours depend on local rules.
ID check: A delivery partner scans your government ID, and you must be 21+.
5. Shipt
Best for: Grocery members
A grocery delivery app that helps fill your weekly lists, add drinks, and order from stores with a clean, simple interface.
The catch is that you may see a $7 alcohol fee on Shipt orders that include alcohol. This way, you can quickly compare the total with other apps without guessing at the fees.
ID check: You must be 21 or older with a valid ID to order or receive alcohol.
6. Grubhub
Best for: Drinks with a restaurant meal
The Grubhub app is a natural choice for anyone who uses the food platform, though its limited alcohol markets won’t suit everyone. It lists beer, wine, and liquor on some restaurant menus, marking them as 21+ and asking for ID at the door.
However, you can also now order alcohol through DoorDash and Uber Eats, making it somewhat redundant. Check out Grubhub’s list of current alcohol delivery markets for all the details.
ID check: Drivers check ID every time and only deliver to buyers 21 or older.
7. Saucey
Best for: Fast alcohol-only orders
The Saucey (Saucey: Alcohol Delivery) app sits near the top of Google’s results for alcohol delivery apps.
Saucey is designed for drinkers, offering beer, wine, liquor, and more from local stores. You can access local stores and get orders from them in 30 to 60 minutes, for some added speed and comfort for your party. It will now also show up on Uber Eats in Houston so you can find Saucey across platforms, which eases the biggest worry about coverage.
ID check: You must be of legal purchasing age where you buy.
8. Minibar Delivery
Best for: Wine, spirits, and gifts
The Minibar Delivery app has grown into a well-known alcohol app. It offers a wide range of wines and spirits, some of which go way beyond the basics. The whiskey and champagne sections, for example, are loaded with picks and extras, including gifts and beer.
Plus, the under-an-hour promise means the app will compete with a host of food delivery apps. Plus, past orders can be reordered from your phone.
ID check: You must be 21 or older to order.
9. Total Wine & More
Best for: Express delivery from a big retailer
Total Wine & More is a popular big wine store. It’s a fairly simple service that shows delivery as express/same-day/scheduled and allows you to track your order.
The app will check stock, set a 2-hour window, and also act as a quick express delivery service, which is really neat. The store says there are no hidden fees, but an adult 21+ has to sign for alcohol.
ID check: An adult 21+ signs for the delivery.
10. Spec’s (Texas)
Uber Eats does a fine job in Texas, but if you’re in a city that has a Spec’s store, this app is arguably better for browsing the whole store, with its own same-day delivery.
You can find stores in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, along with San Antonio and other Texas cities, right in the app. Order by 6 PM and delivery can arrive before 9 PM.
Texas only: get the Spec’s app
11. ReserveBar
There’s no end to the gift sites on the web, but that’s not to say they’re all worth the money.
Perhaps you want to make a bottle more personal, in which case ReserveBar is at hand with its custom engraving service. ReserveBar also lists premium spirits and personalized gifts, too, to go with the ones you can send yourself.
Shipped: visit ReserveBar
12. Caskers
If you want to try premium spirits, Caskers is a strong place to start.
You get to shop whiskey, bourbon, and tequila online, and check the shop for gifts too. Checking if it ships to you is now as simple as entering your ZIP code.
With the Caskers Rewards plan, members can now get flat rate shipping and up to 5% back on every order. It’s a big help.
Shipped: visit Caskers
13. Wine.com
You can’t necessarily get wine in an hour from a shipping site, but Wine.com users are well catered for on choice.
The wine store’s StewardShip plan can cut shipping costs on regular orders, and its 90-day trial might even tempt you to move over from the store.
Shipped by state: visit Wine.com
14. Flaviar
One area where bars excel is in the tasting flights you can order from them, and, with Flaviar, you can get a similar sort of experience at home.
You will need a membership to get the best perks, at $40 a year with a free first month, so we see this more as a great extra than a must-have download for everyone.
Otherwise, the tasting boxes with 50 ml vials are the main draw.
Shipped: visit Flaviar
15. Vivino
It’s perhaps no surprise that wine fans have some fine apps to pick from, and near the top of that pile is Vivino.
The wine app finds a good balance between reviews and shopping. Bottles ship from many merchants, and you can set your state to see what ships to you.
Shipped: visit Vivino
Run a liquor store? Get your own delivery app
It can give your buyers your whole store right on their phone, including real-time stock and order status.
What Happened to Drizly?
Drizly was a popular alcohol delivery app that Uber bought for $1.1 billion and shut down at the end of March 2024. Uber moved its alcohol orders over to Uber Eats, including beer, wine, and liquor from grocery stores, liquor stores, and convenience shops.
Interest in Drizly still holds up, and today there are an estimated 14,800 searches a month for it in the US.
A well-chosen app may also help replace some of the common Drizly habits, such as one-hour delivery from local liquor stores.
Is Uber Eats the same as Drizly?
While Uber Eats is not an alcohol-only app and can’t replace the feel of a proper liquor app, it does help list liquor stores in the same app, which improves convenience. Some drinkers struggle to have their needs met by grocery apps alone, so some opt for Minibar or Saucey.
By using local stores to cut delivery times, helping to cover more ZIP codes, and checking ID at the door, these apps are a popular choice to ease some of the major pain points that came with Drizly closing.
Which States Allow Alcohol Delivery?
At its core, alcohol delivery is a network of stores joined together with the aim of getting drinks out as quickly, cheaply, legally, and safely as possible. In order to boost speed and legality, an app will partner with stores holding permits in different states.
These licensed liquor stores (package stores) are among the places where different delivery apps connect in order to provide buyers access to bottles coming from their different shelves. By having a link to these local and fully licensed stores, a delivery app is able to reduce costs and travel times in quick alcohol delivery.
Beyond placement of orders with stores, each state limits, and some may prohibit, standard store/home alcohol deliveries. States can limit distance from the store, drink types, and permits, and the rules are written to cover various types of stores and delivery apps.
Alcohol delivery in Texas (Houston)
Licensing is a key component for anyone with a Texas liquor store. Permit gaps and spikes in orders, as a result of either new rules or just a boost in demand, have the potential to slow down a delivery and prevent buyers from getting a bottle or a case. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) has several rules that will shape delivery:
- Consumer Delivery Permits let third-party apps deliver for several types of stores.
- Package store permits allow self-delivery even if one or more of the stores never uses a third-party app; wine and beer retailers can sell wine and malt drinks up to 17% alcohol for delivery.
- In the event that a package store delivers its own orders, the 2-mile rule keeps the delivery within 2 miles of the city, county, or town limits.
How Alcohol Delivery Apps Check Your Age
When it comes to alcohol orders, deliveries stop quickly if the buyer can’t prove their age. Delivery apps check your age in the following ways:
- The two-step nature of DoorDash’s check means less hassle between orders and drop-offs. Instead of having to show an ID at checkout every time you order, DoorDash lets users upload a photo of their ID once and saves it until it expires. Less checking means faster checkout.
- Door checks such as ID scans and photo ID reviews can help drivers confirm the buyer is 21 or older.
- Drivers can refuse an order that’s not safe to hand over by spotting signs such as an underage buyer or visible intoxication. Refused orders mean a return to the store.
- Some states can also require a signature on top of the ID scan, which Instacart notes in its help center.
How to Pay Less for Alcohol Delivery
Fees are an integral part of alcohol delivery. A membership can keep costs down with free or cheaper delivery which can mean a lower total on each order. Compare the final totals across apps, and see what can be done to cut extra fees.
Every time an order includes alcohol, Shipt may add a $7 fee. See how a plan, like the Shipt membership, can cut delivery fees and reduces the total cost.
Want to Build an Alcohol Delivery App?
Before you even begin to plan your own alcohol delivery app, first you have to do your homework. That means deciding what you’re really building.
There are some factors that can help you define your alcohol delivery app development project. Take a careful look at each one and answer the points below:
- How big is my store? Is it one shop or a chain?
- What is my area? Do I deliver in one state?
- Who is my buyer? How can I reach them? What can I offer that DoorDash doesn’t?
- Do I have the licenses and staff capable of supporting delivery?
Once you’re done with your answers, note them down, or simply keep them handy. Trust us: talking to a mobile app development company will get way easier with them. They’ll help you start the talk with your future development partner and ensure a more accurate build.
Looking for the right app development partner?
If you’re looking for a partner who has delivery app experience, a clear process, and good communication skills, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be glad to hear your idea and help you make it into a working iOS and Android app!
If you run a liquor store, you don’t need deep coding skills, but your app development team definitely should. That’s why you need more than a freelancer: a real partner who can help you on all technical parts of your app. To make sure they’ll offer you the best possible setup, share with them all the features you want in your app and ask about the possible options. They should give you the pros and cons and honest advice. If the partner looks at your own needs and tries to offer you the best-fitting tech, this is one of the signs that set great app teams apart.
- How ready is my idea? Is it just a plan, an early build, or a working store app ready for more features?
- Is my design ready? Do I need help with UI and UX design?
- Where will I launch my app? Is it for Android, iOS, or maybe both?
- Do I need links to POS tools, payment systems, or ID scanning?
- What is my delivery model? What is the sales goal of the app?
- Who is my main buyer? Who is the driver?
- Which features do I need in my app?
A good and reliable development partner should give you clear advice and a clear view of the final app.
Launching an alcohol delivery app is only the beginning. If you want it to grow, sooner or later you’ll need to update it. It’s normal that you may want to add some features, start with an MVP in one city, or simply fix whatever isn’t working well.
It can also happen that you decide to keep working on your app in-house. The right app partner should respect this. Make sure your development partner will give you ongoing support and smooth help on changes. Also, remember to settle all the details: timelines, costs, and the scope of support, and see our guides on the cost to build an app and how long it takes to build.
Conclusion
Alcohol delivery apps have long been hit and miss, but these 15 checked picks show that the best ones are worth downloading.
Some of the standouts include DoorDash, which lets you order drinks in your dinner app, Instacart for grocery runs, Gopuff for late nights, and ReserveBar for a gift.
Alcohol delivery apps prove that the phone is more than just a food menu, as it can be used for wine, beer, and spirits too.
Have an app idea? Let’s build it in Houston
Whether you’re just getting started with one liquor store or trying to find the right app to power a new delivery business, our mobile app development team in Houston can build it for iOS and Android.
Alcohol Delivery Apps FAQs
What delivery apps deliver alcohol?
Until every liquor store runs its own app, you will want DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, Gopuff, Shipt, or Grubhub to get that bottle from your local store or Kroger. For that purpose, a simple choice is DoorDash or Uber Eats on your phone. You simply tap, wait, show your ID, and even add ice for the party.
Does DoorDash deliver alcohol?
As mentioned, DoorDash has added alcohol to its app in many areas, and spirits are no exception. You can order from liquor stores right in the app and add a whole bar setup, complete with mixers, without leaving your couch. The age check gives you a one-time ID upload, a saved check until your ID expires, and an ID scan at the door by the Dasher. You can learn even more in DoorDash’s help article on how age is verified for alcohol orders.
Does Uber Eats deliver alcohol?
Ordering beer and wine from your couch can be incredibly handy, and Uber Eats makes it possible. The Uber Eats app is polished but keeps to the basics of letting you browse local stores and add drinks to your order when needed. The ID check at delivery is required.
Does Instacart deliver alcohol?
Instacart is a grocery delivery app for many stores that lets you order, well, groceries… and alcohol from select retailers. The shopper will also scan your ID and let you know if a bottle needs a replacement. You can finally stock up on drinks without taking your car out.
Is Drizly still in business?
Drizly was one of the best-known alcohol delivery apps on the market, and Uber closed it for good at the end of March 2024, about three years after the $1.1 billion purchase. The service itself is folded into Uber Eats nowadays and even shows liquor stores in the main app, using your address to work out what’s nearby. You can also switch over to Minibar or Saucey when the choice on Uber Eats is thin.
Why doesn’t Gopuff deliver alcohol everywhere?
Once upon a time, late-night alcohol was limited to the corner store. However, Gopuff is now a fast alcohol app and has made its way to over 1,000 cities. Using your delivery address, Gopuff can check local rules and give you items based on that information. For alcohol, you can view delivery hours by location and plan the time your order is placed, if you’re worried about local rules cutting your late-night order short.
Do I need to show ID for alcohol delivery?
Most major alcohol delivery apps require you to show ID at the door, provided the order includes beer, wine, or spirits. On top of that ID check, you also need to be 21 or older wherever your order is going, and you can find everything else in our section on how apps check your age. Plus, if you’re a DoorDash, Instacart, or Gopuff customer, your ID may be scanned too. However, most apps return the order to the store if no one can show ID.
How much does it cost to build an alcohol delivery app?
An app for alcohol delivery needs full-fledged age checks on top of the usual delivery features. Once you list your features and pick your platforms, you can get a cost estimate and plan the build as if you were planning any other app. You can also start with an MVP in a single city to quickly test orders or view your first sales with less money and risk. For everything you need to know about the budget, check out our full guide on the cost to make an app.
