Best alcohol delivery services in 2021: Drizly, Saucey, Minibar and more

Fall is here, and if you’re looking to stock up on some pumpkin beers, red wine and other booze without having to actually go to the store, good news: There are lots of reliable liquor delivery services that make ordering alcohol right to your door easy. Plus, ordering alcohol online often means a bigger selection of beer, wine, liquor, hard seltzer or any other adult drinks you want. 

Many of these booze delivery services function just like Uber Eats or GrubHub, sourcing inventory from local liquor stores and then employing on-demand delivery drivers to get the goods to you, often in an hour or less. In fact, Uber just acquired alcohol delivery service Drizly. Plus, the transactions are all managed online or through the app, and you can often compare prices from various local sellers to find the best deal. 

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Note that alcohol delivery laws vary by state, so not every service is available everywhere. Many states, however, have deemed liquor stores an essential service during the pandemic, and are allowing delivery of alcohol from restaurants and liquor stores where they may not have in the past. Inventory also varies by store and service, so if something is out of stock now it may come back in stock soon. We update this list periodically. 

To stock up on craft beer, fancy booze, great wine, champagne and other treats without ever having to put pants on, check out this list of the best wine and liquor delivery services to try in 2021. Just remember that the same rules that have always applied to alcohol apply now, perhaps more than ever: Enjoy wine and spirits in moderation and never drink and drive, but always tip your delivery person.

Drizly

Drizly is an online alcohol delivery service that partners with thousands of retailers across North America to send beer, wine, liquor and snacks to your door. It’s available in 31 states and DC. 

When you add something to your cart, you’ll have the option to choose which store in your area will fulfill the order, as well as delivery ETAs, minimums and fees. You can often get your order delivered in under an hour (though that depends on a few factors, like time of day and order volume), or schedule a delivery for the future. Add a tip for your driver, and you’re good to go. The site is also encouraging users to select contactless deliveries.

Total Wine

Total Wine has a wide variety of liquor, beer and wine, and offers same-day alcohol and snack delivery across 23 states, as well as shipping and in-store pickup. If you’ve ever been in one of its stores, you know it has a wide variety to choose from, including domestic and craft beer and spirits. If you are looking for good wine, its Winery Direct deals let you mix six bottles to get a discount. Bottles start as low as $3.

Saucey

Saucey offers 30-minute delivery or two-day shipping of beer, wine and liquor, with no delivery fees or order minimums — the price is all rolled in, so what you see is what you pay (there are shipping fees, however). The catch is that it only operates that on-demand service in certain cities. Check your ZIP code at the link below to see if your area is included.

Minibar

Minibar operates in 20 states and DC, promising to deliver great wine, beer and liquor to your door in under an hour. It also offers statewide shipping within three to five days, and an in-store pickup option at your local liquor store. The site stands out for its easy navigation, letting you quickly filter by type of alcohol, then store, country, size, container and price.

Wine.com

Home delivery is great, but if you’re going out to Walgreens or FedEx anyway, online retailer Wine.com lets you order to pick up at one of those store locations near you. The site boasts that it has the “world’s largest selection of wines,” and you can have the bottles of wine delivered to your home or to one of those local pickup sites. You can also sign up for the StewardShip program — a one-year subscription is $49, and gets you free shipping all year.

Angela Lang/CNET

If you live in a state that allows alcohol delivery from local restaurants, you can likely order drinks through your favorite food delivery app. Just open it up, navigate to the restaurant you want and see if beer, wine or alcoholic drinks are available. Doordash recently started offering alcohol delivery in 20 states. Check out our list of best food delivery services here.

Instacart

In 23 states, you can add wine, beer and liquor to your grocery delivery order from online grocery service Instacart. Orders are fulfilled by grocery stores in your area. Regular delivery fees apply, and you’ll need to show ID.

Winc

Are you a wine enthusiast? Winc is a wine-of-the-month club and wine subscription service that offers recommendations that it says will match your palate, based on a short quiz, for a monthly subscription of wine awesomeness. You can also search the site for whatever you prefer — whether that’s red wine like pinot noir,  white wine such as sauvignon blanc or another type. Selecting four wines will get you free shipping each month, from both Winc’s own wines and bottles from independent wineries. Bottles start at $13 each. Our sister site Chowhound named Winc the best wine subscription for most people, and said that it “provides an overall great value for the wines and a user-friendly site.”

Happy ordering! For more, check out our roundup of the best online games to play with friends. You can also find out about the best meal kit delivery services, the best meat delivery and subscription services, the best coffee subscriptions and gourmet food and drink gifts to send to family and friends.

source: cnet.com