Photo by Mr. T in DC
Good news for D.C. residents who like booze, but don’t like going out and getting it themselves: The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has lifted its ban on booze delivery apps and services.
In a statement, ABRA says they’re “issuing new guidelines today that will allow unlicensed websites and smartphone applications to provide alcohol services in the District.” In June, ABRA issues a cease-and-desist order to one of those services, the booze delivery app Ultra, which started service in late May. According to ABRA, Ultra was in violation because they didn’t have a license to sell booze, even though the company merely acts as a third party vendor, taking online orders and connecting them with local liquor providers.
ABRA says they’ve informed companies Drizly and Klink about the new guidelines, but did not mention Ultra. In an email, Ultra founder Aniket Shah says that “they’ll be back in business in a few days,” saying that they “worked closely with ABRA to provide them with information, including relevant regulations in Texas and California to formulate their opinion.”
In a release, ABRA Director Fred Moosally said that they “encourage businesses that facilitate the sale of alcoholic beverages to contact the agency before starting any new operations in the District.” He added that the new guidelines “will allow us to ensure operations are compliant with the law before they begin.”
You can read the full text of ABRA’s new guidelines below:
The Board advises technology companies facilitating the sale of alcohol through websites and apps to limit their operations to:
- Connecting consumers over the Internet to District retailers such as liquor and grocery stores; and/or
- Promoting a retailer’s alcoholic products.
Technology companies are restricted from:
- Soliciting, selling and shipping orders for alcoholic beverages;
- Storing alcoholic beverages for sale to consumers; and
- Collecting any money, fees or transacting any credit or debit cards for the sale of alcoholic beverages.
