If you planned to order booze tonight from alcohol delivery service Ultra, you might find yourself walking to the package store instead.
D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company Wednesday for selling alcohol without a license, the Washington Post reported. It was only running for about a month.
The web-based service had partnered with a liquor store in Dupont Circle, a model that allowed Ultra to promise delivery within 30 to 60 minutes. It also meant Ultra was considered a third-party vendor of alcohol, and those vendors aren’t allowed to directly collect money from its customers in D.C.
By processing customers’ credit card information for its brick-and-mortar partner, Ultra acted as the seller of wine, beer and spirits, the board found.
The company’s founder, Aniket Shah, told the Washington Times that he will meet with members of the District’s board to “understand how we can operate within the existing model.”
In the meantime, Ultra will continue to serve the Silver Spring area.