This holiday season there are more options in Winnipeg to have wine and beer delivered to your door.
SkipTheDishes said 19 local retailers began delivering products with alcohol five months ago.
Customers can type in their address, select products online, and purchase them before a driver brings it to your home for a fee. SkipTheDishes said there are plenty of scenarios where delivery makes sense over the holidays.
"There are people who may not have access to a vehicle, there may be dinner parties, we've run out of wine, or maybe that last minute gift idea, that you don't have time to leave the office," said Kendall Bishop, a spokesperson for the company.
The Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba said liquor delivery has gained popularity this year in part thanks to new delivery models and laws around it are the same as in a store.
Whether the retailer makes the delivery or it’s done by a third party, like SkipTheDishes, the authority said it is the licensed retailer that is responsible for making sure the delivery is legal.
It means drivers can't deliver liquor to anyone under the legal drinking age of 18, or to someone intoxicated.
The authority said the onus is also on the driver to check identification and assess if the person is intoxicated. The driver must have completed Smart Choices, a certification which trains staff to spot fake IDs and refuse sales.
After the delivery is made hosts also carry responsibility. They can't serve to minors or someone intoxicated, and it's the host's duty to prevent intoxication and ensure guests do not create a disturbance.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said Liquor Marts made about 12,000 home deliveries last year. Its service, which now accepts orders by phone and online, started 50 years ago.
Half Pints Brewing Company is one of the retailers that signed on with SkipTheDishes to have its beer delivered. CEO David Rudge said he’s pleased to see the service expand and catch on with its customers.
"For us it equates to basically an extra a day of business a week of our orders through SkipTheDishes, so it's basically like adding like an eighth day in the week for us," he said.
Winnipeg police say they haven't received any complaints with the SkipTheDishes beer and wine delivery service.
The Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba said it doesn't have concerns about the service. It said retailers can deliver until 12:30 a.m.
The authority has some tips to host responsibly. It says limit consumption, appoint bartenders, measure drinks and ensure impaired guests have a ride home.
