This week I take a look at how to legally ship your home brewed beer to a friend or perhaps to submit it for a competition. As you will see, state laws as well as shipper’s restrictions can make this very difficult for an individual.
The Legal Complexities of Shipping Beer
First of all, I want to emphasize that this article is not intended to cover for-profit, commercial beer, which is a complex topic governed by each state’s alcohol and beverage commission. If you want to send beer for profit, you need to research the specific laws governing sale in a given state. Also I’m not a lawyer, so I won’t attempt to provide legal advice other than to refer you to local state laws.
Unfortunately in the US, there are a patchwork of laws covering alcoholic beverages governed by each state. While most states have exemptions in place for personal/non-commercial use as well as sending beer to beer competitions, I can’t say this the case with every state. So if you want to be completely, 100% legal you should probably check not only your local laws, but also the laws at the destination you are shipping to. There is a comprehensive list of the laws in every state here on the Crafty Shipping site, and another summary by state here, but even then sometimes homebrew falls into a grey area in which case you may want to contact your state alcohol/beverage commission. If you are shipping to another country, you also need to consider US as well as foreign import/export laws which vary widely.
In addition to complying with the laws of each state, you need to consider that different shippers also have their own rules about shipping alcohol. For example, the US Postal Service does NOT allow you to legally ship alcohol using their service. The other two major services do allow shipping of alcohol, but generally only for licensed businesses who have specific approval from the shipper. This does leave most home brewers at risk when shipping home brew.
- US Postal Service (USPS): The US Postal Service does NOT allow shipping of alcoholic beverages.
- Federal Express (FedEx): While FedEx does allow licensed businesses to ship and receive beer, they do not allow individual consumers as you can see on their web site. You need to go through a process to become an approved shipper, and this usually requires a business and alcohol license. There are also varying rules for licensee-to-licensee shipping and licensee-to-consumer shipping, and you must get approval as a licensed shipper.
- United Parcel Service (UPS): UPS also only accepts packages containing beer from licensed shippers. Similar to the process above with FedEx you need to enter into an agreement with UPS to become an approved shipper of beer. Generally this requires a license to sell or distribute beer, and a consultation with UPS and signed agreement.
- DHL: DHL specializes in international shipments, and like the domestic private shippers it requires a signed DHL agreement and business licensing to ship beer. There is also the added complexity of complying with various international alcohol and import/export laws.
Obviously, some homebrewers do ship beer to enter competitions and also to send samples to friends and family. Most do this via UPS or FedEx since the USPS has a general ban on shipping alcohol. How do they do this without a business alcohol license? I can only assume they either get someone who is licensed to ship it or perhaps do it in a way that may not fully comply with the shipper’s rules. I’m not advocating this in any way, just noting that you typically need a business, an alcohol license and an agreement with the shipper to legally ship beer.
If you ship beer as an individual without complying with the shipper’s rules, you do so at your own risk.
Packaging Your Beer
Here are some tips on how to best package your beer assuming you are shipping bottles:
- Separate Each Bottle with Bubble Wrap or Cardboard – A basic rule of thumb is that you never want to have two bottles touching each other in any way as it can easily lead to cracked bottles. You need to individually wrap your bottles in bubble wrap or use cardboard separators between bottles. You can also use foam or packing peanuts to provide separation.
- Line the box with foam or Double Box it: An additional layer of foam, bubble wrap or cardboard on the outside is good insurance against damage. Nothing should move when you shake the box after it is packed.
- Tape the box well – Tape all of the seams on the box.
- Label the box as Fragile – It never hurts to label the box as fragile. Possibly it will face less abuse in handling.
- Plastic Lining: Some brewers will use a heavy gauge plastic trash bag or other plastic liner that can at least contain leaks if there is a broken bottle.
- Check The Shipper’s Rules: Each shipper has their own set of packaging rules and restrictions on how alcoholic beverages must be packaged.
- Avoid Shipping During Hot Weather – The beer will sit in a hot truck at some point, so it is best not to ship in the middle of summer.
- Label the Box Properly: Make sure you have your destination address, return address and any labeling or paperwork required to comply with the shipper’s rules.
I hope you enjoyed today’s article on packaging and shipping beer. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter or my podcast (also on itunes…and youtube…and streaming radio station) for more great tips on homebrewing.
