It's a tired cliché, but we'll say it again, technology is
dramatically changing the hospitality industry. Recently, we've noticed new text message-based delivery services that aim to fit into our
smartphone-obsessed lives. Rather than downloading a dedicated application, or - heaven forbid - visiting a physical location, SMS based delivery apps aim to turn our words and
emojis into real life, at your doorstep service. The latest service making waves in the blogosphere, called "
Drinkeasy", uses
text messages to deliver craft spirits that you may otherwise never see or purchase.
Drinkeasy is one of the more intriguing services to pop up in the last year. It is a SMS-based liquor store of sorts (the service calls itself a "club"), catering to those who prefer texting over calling, and who have a taste for lesser known craft spirits. Drinkeasy comes from the creators of "
Swig", a very Instagram-like social network that focuses specifically around photos and the social experience of drinking. Swig itself seems to have integrated an in-app buying option, a "buy" button underneath some photos (
according to the website, no option appeared for me when I tested the app). Drinkeasy simplifies the process, and - as you'll see below - the creators seem to want the two services to work in tandem.
Once a week, Drinkeasy will send you a text with information about a small batch (aka craft) spirit, along with a photo and the price for a bottle. All users have to do is respond with "HELL YES", and Drinkeasy will ship the spirit. Most offerings aren't available from typical liquor stores (according to Drinkeasy, see below). The service is free to join, you're only charged for what you order, though currently it is invite only. You can request an invite by texting "DRINK LOCAL" to the DrinkEasy phone number listed on their website.
Out of pure curiosity, I signed up for the service by texting "DRINK LOCAL" to the Drinkeasy phone number. I received a surprisingly human reply, first asking me where I'd heard of Drinkeasy, followed by a brief explanation of the service. Drinkeasy asked for my name and zip code, and if I had a preference for certain types of spirits, to which I replied "Gin gin gin gin" (I can't resist a good botanical spirit/cocktail). As you can see in the screen shots below, a good bit of humor is involved in these transactions.
Once I receive my first "weekly text", I'll update this post with more information.
Update 10/22: I received my first text from Drinkeasy shortly after publishing this post.
The weekly text offerings are very nicely presented, and it seems that Drinkeasy really does take your liquor preferences into consideration. A day after signing up, I received a text from the service, offering a 750ML bottle of "Barr Hill Gin" by Caledonia Spirits of Vermont for $44.99. The four-part text included a very professional looking photograph of the bottle, some brief information about about Caledonia Spirit's owner, as well as a link to a YouTube video where I could "meet the distiller".
I should note, the video was uploaded by Astor Wines & Spirits, a prominent New York retailer, so that gives us a big hint as to who Drinkeasy has partnered with to get these products out to customers. Astor sell the same bottle for $37.96, but they would charge me $17.23 for shipping a single bottle to California, so in comparison Drinkeasy's offer is a very good deal. However, after quick search on Caledonia Spirit's website, I found that there are no less than 6 grocery/liquor stores in my area of California where I could buy Bar Hill Gin, as well as 7 bars or restaurants that serve the spirit. One liquor store I called had the same bottle available for only $37.99. So while Drinkeasy definitely offered me a craft spirit that's in-line with my tastes, it is something I can just get from my local liquor store, and for less money. To be fair, craft & small-batch products are hugely popular in the Bay Area, so it may well be a product to which you or others do not have easy access. Depending on where you live, Drinkeasy's offerings may be a good deal, but take everything with a grain of salt, and research local pricing and availability before sending that "HELL YES".
Drinkeasy says they partner with local liquor stores, so the actual delivery is done by whichever nearby business has the item in stock, and is available in 35 states (contingent on local laws regarding liquor deliveries). Orders take a few days to be delivered. It's strange that Drinkeasy says many of their offerings are not available in your average liquor store, but that local liquor stores (how "local" is unknown see above update) are the ones stocking and delivering the booze. As mentioned, their website is scant when it comes to information, though I imagine the partnerships they've set up with local stores involve stocking Drinkeasy-exclusive offerings.
New, novel ways of ordering food are popping up all over the place, with text-based ways to order
almost anything. Services such as Seamless offer easy food delivery through their mobile application. Dominos, whose online ordering system is well known, introduced a feature earlier this year where Twitter users can order pizza by simply tweeting a pizza emoji to the official Domino's Twitter account
(though it's usefulness is questionable).
What do you think about these new mobile ordering services? Has you considered adding a mobile application or text-based delivery services to your restaurant's offerings? Let us know what you think via Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
Photo Credit:
DrinkEasy
