Doordash expands drinks to-go
DoorDash makes booze at home even easier with new Texas-wide delivery
Getting alcohol delivered to your door has never been easier, and one national delivery app wants to keep it that way. DoorDash announced it has expanded its alcohol delivery statewide across Texas as well as to 20 other states and the District of Columbia.
To access the available options, simply select the Alcohol button in the DoorDash app. Users will find everything from popular retailers like Total Wine to restaurants selling cocktails to-go to the company's own DashMart offering. People can buy anything from a six-pack of craft beer to their favorite bottle of whiskey.
According to the company, the top three orders so far consist of popular wine varietals such Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rosé. Others in the top 10 include "pale lager" (fourth), "classic margarita" (seventh) and three different flavors of hard seltzer: lemonade, black cherry, and iced tea.
The expanded program also helps restaurants take advantage of recent legislation that allows them to sell alcohol to-go with food orders. DoorDash cites a 2020 Nielsen report showing that alcohol is the fastest-growing e-commerce vertical across all consumer packaged goods.
“Over the past year, many cities where we operate evolved their legislation in order to permit the delivery of alcohol to residents’ homes. Over that time, we worked tirelessly to build a trusted alcohol ordering and delivery experience for merchants, customers, and Dashers,” Caitlin Macnamara, DoorDash's director of alcohol strategy and operations, said in a statement. “We’re committed to providing new earning opportunities for merchants and Dashers, a safe, high quality experience for customers, and being a responsible leader in compliant alcohol delivery.”
Towards that end, DoorDash has instituted age-verification procedures. Users will be required to upload a photo of a government-issued ID. Drivers will see a person's photo and birthday in their app when they deliver alcohol and will have to verify it matches a person's ID.
In addition, the company has partnered with two organizations to foster responsible relationships with alcohol: Responsibility.org and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). These non-profits are helping the company prevent underage drinking, according to a release.
“We are proud to work alongside DoorDash to strengthen responsibility efforts in our communities and on our roadways by providing guidance and proven resources to help prevent impaired driving and underage drinking,” said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of both the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and Responsibility.org. “Whether you’re a Dasher, a restaurant employee, or a customer — we are all stronger when we’re united by a commitment to a culture of alcohol responsibility.”