Amazon has just added beer and wine delivery for Amazon Prime members in a few lucky Texas cities. It's an added benefit for people who shell out the new increased price for Prime membership, plus it means you can ask Alexa to bring you a beer.
Using the Prime Now app or website, Amazon Prime members in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston can order a pretty wide selection of beer and wine for free two-hour delivery or get one-hour delivery with an additional fee. There's also a good variety of local and craft beer, including beers and ciders from Karbach, Independence, Austin Eastciders, and Spoetzl.
Amazon quietly started offering alcohol delivery in Seattle in 2015 and last year expanded to other American cities including Chicago; Cincinnati and Columbus in Ohio; Los Angeles; Minneapolis, Minnesota; New York City; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Richmond, Virginia; Seattle, Washington; and San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The company added Orlando, Florida, and Miami in May of this year.
Buying Whole Foods gave Amazon the ability to offer perks like two-hour grocery delivery to Amazon Prime customers, but it also made it easier to manage a real alcohol delivery system. Having physical locations from which customers can purchase beer and wine — especially local and craft brands — allows Amazon to offer yet another value-added service as part of their strategy to take over all things grocery.
Right now, at least in Texas, only beer and wine delivery is available. Some cities that have Amazon Prime Now alcohol delivery, like Seattle, are able to offer spirits for delivery as well.
Alcohol delivery service in Texas is available from 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday, and noon to midnight on Sunday. A few things to note according to Amazon's website: You must be 21 or older to make a purchase and delivery couriers will check ID and get an adult signature when they make the delivery.
