Drizly launches here, wants to be 'Amazon of alcohol'

Your favorite bottle of wine is nearly as close as your smartphone.

Drizly Inc., a new online delivery competitor in Chicago, specializes in filling orders for beer, wine and liquor. The company launched Thursday in Chicago, serving an area from the Near South Side to Lake View and from West Town to the lakefront. It pledges to deliver within 20 to 40 minutes.

Chicago is the third market for Drizly — which wants to become “the Amazon for alcohol” — and will compete with other online and mobile app services such as Foxtrot, GrubHub, Instacart and Peapod. Drizly also operates in Boston, its hometown, and New York City. The company has raised $2.3 million from investors.

“Chicagoans are ready for a smarter way to purchase alcohol,” said Nick Rellas, co-founder and CEO of Drizly. “Why go to the liquor store when Drizly brings the huge selection and great prices of the local liquor store to you? Let us save you the hassle of finding parking, or lugging heavy bottles home.”

Drizly is available for download on iPhone and Android. Delivery drivers authenticate and validate IDs using Drizly technology.

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