Give Real makes it easier to get drunk for the holidays

Had enough of those fake liquor gifts on Facebook? Give Real is launching a web site and Facebook application today that lets people buy real drinks for friends, family and colleagues anywhere in the country.

With Give Real, people buy their friends drink credits worth up to $99 on the Give Real website or through Facebook. The service sends an email to the recipient about the gift. The recipient can then redeem the gift at any bar in the U.S. that accepts major credit cards.

Give Real was founded in 2007 by Princeton graduates Adam Ludwig and Patrick Ledbetter and is funded by Hillcrest Management and Battery Ventures. Angel investors include Facebook Co-Founder Eduardo Saverin, and Right Media Co-Founder Brian O’ Kelley. Ludwig had a background in social networking and Ledbetter had expertise in online payments.

To buy someone a margarita or a milkshake, you log on to the site or download the Facebook app. You purchase up to $99 worth of drink credits and send to a friend. The friend accepts the gift by loggin in and securely registering a credit card or debit card so the right account can be credited when they get the drinks. The recipient goes to a bar, restaurant, club or cafe and gets the drink. As soon as the transaction posts, the recipient’s account is credited for the amount of the gift.

The site has been in beta since November and is now open to the public. The company is based in New York and has 10 employees. The first 100 people who click on this link can get a free drink.

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