Dial in the spirited high

We live in a time when everything, right from food to apparel to sports goods to even laptops and cameras, get delivered right at our doorsteps. So why should alcohol be left behind? Well, it is not left out anymore, at least not in Bengaluru. Liquor store chains such as Madhuloka and many other single liquor outlets deliver alcohol with a minimum requirement of purchase ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 depending on the store.

“We deliver anywhere in Bengaluru. The customer can order via telephone and buy liquor of a minimum of Rs 1,000. We deliver it at the  doorstep within half-an-hour or an hour, depending on the location. There are no delivery charges if the amount if Rs 1,000 or above,” says Manoj C of Liqourmart.

Generally, young professionals and university students are the people who avail this facility. “I live in a flat with three friends. There are many Fridays when, after coming back from office, we find that we do not have any alcohol left. So we order from a nearby store just because we do not have any energy left after the immense work load at office. I know many consider drinking to be a vice but it is also a good way to unwind with friends and share some light moments,” says Ankit Kacholia, an IT professional.

Parties are where alcohol flows freely. But what do you do when you run out of alcohol in the middle of a party? Parijat Bannerjee, a gaming professional, simply gets it delivered.

“Once, when we were hosting a friend’s birthday party at our flat, many people whom we had not expected to come made an appearance. So, we ran out of alcohol within two hours. Now, who will leave a party to go and fetch alcohol? So, we ordered from a liquor mart nearby and the alcohol arrived within half-an-hour. It was convenient as none of us had to leave the party and go fetch heavy crates,” says Parijat.

Since alcohol is so freely available in the city, one question arises. Will the local alcohol consumption increase because it is getting delivered at homes? Sadhana Kiran, a psychologist, says, “In Western countries, they have a permit which lets people buy alcohol for a certain quantity per month. So, it restricts alcohol consumption. In India, if we do not introduce a permit, young adults will just keep ordering alcohol. With this delivery system, they won’t even have to walk or drive to the store. So, it will increase consumption of alcohol which is selling like mineral water these days.”