A Short Guide To Chicago's In-Home Beer Delivery Market
By Stephen Gossett in Food on Aug 19, 2016 5:28PM
How to do this without putting on pants / Getty Images / Photo: Philipp Guelland
Chicagoans have never had more options for instant, in-home booze fulfillment. A host of beer delivery apps and independent services ensure that the craft-beer set can enjoy a brew without the awful hassle of having to put on shoes and leave the house.
We’ve certainly been down that road before—or rather, we’ve pulled our delivery guy down that road before. We started thinking about the city’s most notable options for beer-on-demand, spurred by the Tribune’s article about several local brewers’ delivery options. Since the Amazonian click-and-hold model continues faster than the mind can process, a truly comprehensive roundup might be impossible. But here are a few notables to get your home drinking started.
Drizly: An originator in the world of beer-delivery apps and a Chicago presence since 2013, Boston-based Drizly shared top honors with Saucey according to a Gizmodo ranking from earlier this year. Chicago Inno gave it top honors, too, handing high marks for price and selection.
Saucey: The LA-based app landed in the Chicago market last fall, their first expansion outside California. The company has four local retailers that act as delivery partners, so again, speed and selection are highlights. But they might not have quite the range of coverage as Drizly.
Binny’s (via Instacart): To paraphrase The Simpsons, the Midwest booze behemoth in January saw an overcrowded market and cried, “Me too!” We kid: in fact, Binny’s partnership with grocery delivery app Instacart has proven a favorite. Deliveries arrive almost always within 60 minutes and even very small orders are allowed.
Minibar: This New York-based option has been going for several years, and they’ve now expanded their market through over a dozen cities. Despite some interface gripes, Minibar remains one of the major players. They even offer a subscription service, so even if you drink beyond the point of remembering to get more beer, you’re still covered.
Straight from the brewer: As the Tribune points out, breweries such Piece, Burnt City and Half Acre are all taking advantage of a change in state law last year that opens the delivery market to authorized breweries. Burnt pioneered the market, according to the Tribune, and Half Acre of course helped pioneer craft beer in general in Chicago. So you really can’t go wrong with any of these options.
What are your favorite beer delivery apps and services? Any new local favorites since Drink Fly was chugged down by Thirstie? Let us know below.