Instacart Launches a New App Solely for Drinks and Snacks

Prepping your house for a dinner party and somehow forgot refreshments? There’s an app for that. 

Instacart is launching a brand-new delivery platform for drink runs and late-night snack cravings: Fizz. This app offers a curated selection of drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), along with a smorgasbord of snacks for any evening get-together. On the backend, it taps Instacart’s existing network of drivers to fulfill the orders and ensure those refreshments reach customers on time. 

The app is rolling out to the Apple Store and Google Play Store as we speak (albeit, it’s only available for folks over 21). Instacart is also partnering with the popular e-vite platform Partiful for the official launch. They’ve already incorporated Fizz’s group ordering feature into the Partiful app, which allows hosts to toggle a setting for group orders directly from the event page. 

Outside of Partiful, users can still share a collaborative link in their text group chats or via direct message. (Guests won’t need to download the Fizz app to choose their favorite chips and drinks, per the announcement.) No membership is required, and everything is bundled under a flat-rate $5 delivery fee — and as a spokesperson tells Food & Wine, the newest app is intended to reach a different audience than Instacart’s original delivery platform. 

“Fizz complements Instacart’s core app, which focuses more on serving busy individuals and households for their weekly shops. In order to simplify large group orders, the mechanics need to operate differently than those of Instacart,” says Instacart’s chief product officer, Daniel Danker. “That said, Fizz sits on top of the foundational marketplace technology we’ve built, refined, and perfected over the past 13 years.”

Instacart says it aims to “eliminate the headache” of group orders with a uniquely collaborative experience, per the announcement. Here’s how that works: Each user can separately add their favorites to the party’s cart, and they’ll be on the hook for paying for their portion. (Hopefully, skipping the tedious chore of requesting Venmo splits the next day.) There’s also a loyalty program, as users can earn “Snack Bucks” with drink purchases to apply to their next snack order. 

“Our approach with Fizz was to create a vibrant, fun, and user-friendly experience that resonates with anyone planning a gathering and looking for a simple, affordable way to order drinks and snacks,” Danker explains.

To understand exactly how folks are stocking up for parties, Instacart consulted research teams at The Harris Poll to compile survey data on snack runs. A whopping 93% of Americans typically head to the grocery store to prepare for a party, while a smaller share (38%) say they opt for same-day delivery to secure the refreshments, according to the survey results. 

Generations are also divided on how they stock the drinks station at their dinner parties. Instacart purchase data tells us that Gen Z adults over 21 typically choose canned cocktails, hard seltzers, and tequila. Meanwhile, Millennials order IPAs 68% more than Gen Z adults, while Gen X prefers red wine. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, generally opt for no-nonsense light lagers and unflavored vodka. Whenever the Silent Generation orders drinks, however, they are more likely to select vermouth and gin — or a simple non-alcoholic wine — than younger cohorts. 

Sounds like it’s time to add a summer kickoff party to the calendar.