Top six drinks delivery innovations

The niche on-demand alcohol delivery industry has grown rapidly in recent months, with a number of new start-ups receiving significant funding to expand their businesses.

These are the top six app-controlled alcohol delivery start-ups taking the US by storm

Controlled by smartphone apps, these services appeal to technology-savvy Millennials seeking the fastest, most convenient way to shop.

While the sector is in relative infancy, a number of fledgling businesses are creating a competitive and dynamic market in the US – where the majority of app-controled alcohol delivery firms have been launched.

A service which provides the ingredients to make some of the favourite cocktails at leading bars in New York and Chicago from the comfort of your own home is among our pick of the top six drinks delivery innovations.

Click through the following pages to see which others made the cut. If you think we’ve missed any out, let us know by leaving a comment below

Drizly

As demand for quick delivery solutions increases, providers such as Drizly – which can provide beer, wine and spirits straight to consumers’ doorsteps in 20-40 minutes – are seeking “aggressive expansion”.

Last year, the company raised US$4.8m (£3.23m) in seed funding and re-launched a new brand identity designed to emulate the user experience of Amazon, Netflix and Spotify. The service’s apps and website has been given a complete refresh with an emphasis on ease-of-use and navigation.

The brand also now features a now icon, a Drizly “grizzly” bear, described as an emblem of “strength, leadership and confidence”.

Minibar Delivery

Minibar Delivery claims to give users an “easy, hassle-free” way to replenish their drinks cabinets at the touch of a button, by connecting them with their local off-licenses across New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco and LA.

The company purchased competitor supplier Booze Carriage – one of the original alcohol delivery services founded in 2012 – in March this year and expects to gain an additional 25,000 customers.

Minibar hopes the deal will help it reduce delivery times by up to 25% and encourage sales growth by more than 20%.

Thirstie

Also in March this year, Thirstie, an app that allows consumers to order alcoholic drinks from a range of retailers, secured US$1.1 in a seed round of investment, allowing it to expand into more US states.

With more than 100 partner retailers so-far, the firm provides a database of merchants which can deliver products within an hour. The additional investment has allowed it to launch in Austin, Texas.

“Our objective from day one has been capital conservation. Now, with this new round of capital and our strategy fully validated, it’s go-time,” said Devaraj Southworth, CEO and co-founder of Thirstie.

SWILL

Recently launched alcohol delivery app SWILL will soon be available on Apple’s new, hotly anticipated iWatch. Customers are connected to local retailers based on their location, and pay through the app on their smartwatch or smartphone.

SWILL also made the innovative decision to use ID scanning technology that delivery drivers from each participating store use to eliminate underage drinking and credit card fraud.

It initially launched 15 months ago in New York and will soon launch in Austin, Washington DC, Buffalo, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, with “international expansion in the works”.

TopShelf

Also competing for niche alcohol delivery market share is TopShelf, a new service which launched in Austin, Texas, earlier this year, and is described as a “an alcohol delivery app built by Texans for Texans”.

The app connects users to local liquor stores that offer delivery, using consumers’ zip codes to locates the nearest off-license and displaying its inventory. The app plans to launch across San Marcos, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston later this year.

Cocktail Courier

Launched in New York and Chicago, Cocktail Courier delivers all the ingredients needed to recreate drinks from leading bars – including spirits, liqueurs and fresh garnishes – from door-to-door.

The company is affiliated with ShakeStir.com – a online community for professional bartenders boasting nearly 15,000 members not just within the US, but around the globe. It also runs bartender competition to discover the “very best” cocktail recipe.

Cocktail Courier packages cost between US$36 and US$90 and are made using both premium and small batch brands.