Amazon has announced that customers of its Prime subscription service can now order alcoholic beverages to be delivered to them within two hours of placing an order via safe shopping online, according to the Independent.

Various types of drinks, including wine and beer as well as stronger spirits, have been added to the list of Prime Now products which can be ordered for super-speedy delivery, with a trial of this scheme rolling out in Seattle in the US prior to launching more broadly later in the year.

Amazon is essentially using this service to create an infrastructure which makes it possible for groceries to be ordered and delivered on demand. And if alcohol can be delivered via Prime Now in the UK at some point in the future, then customers will no longer need to send someone out to the shops if they run out of drink in the middle of a party.

At the moment, Amazon confirms that the trial of the alcohol delivery scheme is going to be a learning experience, as ultimately it needs to work out whether customers have any desire to order this type of product via safe shopping online as part of its two-hour delivery option.

One of the other issues to consider when it comes to this scheme is that Prime Now is an additional cost on top of the standard Prime subscription, resulting in extra delivery charges being levied for those who do want to get alcohol or any other items delivered in less than a day.

Free two-day delivery is still available to standard Prime customers, and if Amazon continues to develop its distribution and delivery networks worldwide, then true on-demand grocery shopping may be a possibility for more than just early adopters with deep pockets.