Shipping beer

I want to ship some homebrew to my father who lives across the country. Has anyone done this before? Is it even legal?

THere are a couple legal ways to do it, if declared, yada yada.

I personally ship using USPS flat rate boxes, very well wrapped in bubble wrap and peanuts. Super firm packing. NO problems.

My business ships out thousands of gel caps filled with fertilzer(for aquarium use) every month and usps doesn't look twice. It has to look odd.... Usually have a case of them in my car and have been pulled over with them in there, hard to explain.... but I've got a card, a website and normally wear a uniform(paramedic) too, so I can get by.


If you aren't trying to ship kegs or the like, I doubt anything will ever happen.

No it isn't legal to ship via USPS. Ship at your own risk, not sure what the penalties are although I doubt you would do hard time. LOL

You can ship Fedex, but you have to fill out certain forms, etc. Possibly the same with UPS although I never checked.

I'm guessing that 99.9% of home brew that is shipped is done by reckless lawbreaking criminal brewers who don't care whom they harm. Right now in some postal warehouse a postal employee is getting drunk off of some confiscated HB and then who knows what he is going to do.

I would never do such as thing!

I have read on several forums that the easiest thing to declare is "glassware". Which is pretty clever, I think.

If they even were to ask me (which they never have), I'd just tell them it's barbecue sauce. Technically, no, you are not supposed to just ship them, but it's not uncommon whatsoever.

I've shipped yeast samples in medium before, but only by UPS since it is illegal to ship by USPS.

conpewter said:

I've shipped yeast samples in medium before, but only by UPS since it is illegal to ship by USPS.

Click to expand...

One time the lady working at UPS asked "what are we shipping today?"

I replied "Zymurlogical Samples".

She paused for a moment with a look of "uh..... what?" and proceeded to not ask any more questions.

strat_thru_marshall said:

One time the lady working at UPS asked "what are we shipping today?"

I replied "Zymurlogical Samples".

She paused for a moment with a look of "uh..... what?" and proceeded to not ask any more questions.

Click to expand...

:rockin:

Shipping beer via USPS is illegal, shipping beer via UPS and FedEx is against their terms of service.

I'm not sure what UPS and FedEx's policies are on shipping yeast suspended in liquid, however. I would read their terms of service carefully to make sure you are on the up and up.

Also, there is an excellent sticky in the DIY section on shipping beer. Check out the thread and you should find all the answers to your questions:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/tutorial-shipping-beer-93042/

Also be careful on the state you are shipping too. For example, Tennessee has its own laws on alcohol being shipped into the state and they may keep a more stringent eye than say, good old Colorado. But, I've shipped beer via UPA and Fed Ex several times without any issue (other than one instance of bottle breakage).

The best way to ship alcohol, IMO, without any issues is to use Fedex or UPS's website to set up your own account. From there you can create shipment labels (at a discounted price actually) and get your boxes ready for shipment from home. Don't worry if you don't have a scale. Just give your best guess on the weight and they will adjust the price accordingly when they charge your credit card (they charge your credit card for the shipment usually a couple of weeks after it ships).
The advantage to making your own label at home is that you can simply drop the package off at a fedex or UPS location without any questions being asked as to what's in the box. Just walk up to the counter and say its prepaid and walk away.
I do this ALOT and I've never once been asked what's in the box.

Bringing up an old post. I guess for me, I shipped via UPS and got caught at the warehouse:

Unauthorized alcohol shipment. Unable to complete delivery or return to sender. UPS will contact shipper. / Unauthorized alcohol shipment was discovered. Unable to deliver or return due to regulatory requirements.

Click to expand...

I'm going to do what hatfieldenator does. Of note, this shipment was a test run for my shipment for the NHC....finger's crossed that my NHC shipment makes it!

I set up an online FedEx account which is free. They come pick it up at the house and don't ask questions. Pack well and enclose all the beer in a tied up garbage bag. That way if something breaks you don't get blacklisted.

I shipped 12 bottles in state yesterday via FedEx. The quoted price went up $10 after they learned the content was 'beer'. Apparently alcohol needs an adult signature upon delivery.
I then took the box to another location and mailed my "jam", saving 10 bucks.