Amazon Prime now offers 1-hour alcohol delivery service

Amazon will now be selling alcoholic beverages on its Prime Now, speedy delivery service. Prime Now not only offers alcohol, but promises to get it to you within an hour or two.

According to Reuters, this will be the first time Amazon will be selling alcohol on the US market. However, the alcohol delivery service is not new to Amazon. In fact, Prime Now members in London were able to buy alcohol online way before the company decided to bring the new sales feature to the United States.

The Huffington Post explains that Prime Now members pay a yearly subscription fee of $99 every year for Amazon's express delivery service. According to Geek Wire, "express" seems to be the perfect word for the delivery service.

After hearing about Amazon's alcohol delivery service, a couple employees at Geek Wire decided to test out the company's promise on a one or two hour delivery.

They ordered one bottle of Absolute Vodka, a bottle of tequila, a liter of orange juice, three bags of chips, and six Bud Light beers. Staying true to its word, an Amazon representative delivered the order within 34 minutes.

Geek Wire states that the price for the alcoholic beverages were fair. The 250 ml bottle of Absolute Vodka was almost the same price on Prime Now as its cost in the nearby liquor store.

Of course, there are delivery charges. For Prime subscribers, a 1-hour delivery service will only cost $7.99, while a 2-hour service is completely free. Delivery on any of the products on Prime Now is available from 8 AM to 12 AM.

As of now, Amazon is just dipping its toe into the United States alcohol market. The only branch of Amazon Prime Now that will be selling alcoholic beverages is its main branch in Seattle, reports the Huffington Post.

Geek Wire predicts that Amazon will be having a hard time expanding its alcohol sale outside of Seattle, due to the many differing alcohol legal codes and requirements set in each state to sell and distribute alcoholic drinks.

"We will continue to learn from customers and if they love the offering of alcohol in the Prime Now service, we will look to continue to expand the offering in other locations," an Amazon spokesperson told Geek Wire, when asked about the company's future plans on its alcohol delivery service.