How do I ship two cases of beer?

[WillowTheDog]

I need to ship two cases of beer (48x 12oz bottles) from California to Texas. Has anyone else done such a large shipment? I could bubble wrap each individual bottle like I have in the past, but then I would end up with several heavy boxes (i.e. expensive).

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Revvy]

Tutorial for Shipping Beer

 

[cruckin78]

Wrap each bottle very good! Then as far as FEDEX, USPS, Etc is concerned your shipping "Olive Oil"

 

[WillowTheDog]

Tutorial for Shipping Beer

Yes, I did read that before posting. I was specifically asking for advice on shipping two full cases of beer. Of course I could wrap each bottle in bubble wrap and put a handful in each box (like I have done many times before). I was hoping someone might have shipped a full case before and had some special tips.

 

[nebben]

Ship a couple of kegs, at least 100 bottle caps, a counterpressure filler and associated tubing, and a voucher for a CO2 tank and 100 bottles of some sort of cheap beer that can be dumped out for clean usable empty bottles. Let the receiver do the bottling. ... .

Or fill up 96 bottles and carefully pack each one with bubblewrap, and separate them in sections of sealed garbage bags in case one ruptures. Use FedEx ground or UPS ground- it will likely be the cheapest non-illegal form of shipping (which will still be expensive). You're shipping 96x12 fluid ounces of beer, the bottles+caps, and all that packing material. There isn't any way around it.

The first is probably easier.

 

[Slider46]

Some rough calculations:

Total weight of beer + bottles + packing material = 2,000oz = 125lbs.

If you split them into (4) 18" square boxes - the boxes would be about 30lbs each (reasonable) and would cost about $27 each for USPS Parcel Post.

Easily $140-$150 if you add the cost of packing material.

Or spend two days driving time, and about the same amount of money on gas/food to drive. (Assuming from Los Angeles to Dallas in a vehicle that gets 30mpg with gas @ 2.70 per gallon)

 

[MikeRoBrew1]

I have been contemplating sending 2L pop bottles filled from the keg. Two bottles will fit in a large USPS flat rate ground box for $15 shipping. One 2L bottle is ~equal to a six pack.

 

[MrInternet]

I have been contemplating sending 2L pop bottles filled from the keg. Two bottles will fit in a large USPS flat rate ground box for $15 shipping. One 2L bottle is ~equal to a six pack.

Absolutely illegal. And kind of a slap in the face to the rest of us who ship legally... why make the hobby more difficult that it already is?

 

[Walker]

Absolutely illegal. And kind of a slap in the face to the rest of us who ship legally... why make the hobby more difficult that it already is?

Who exactly is being slapped in the face?

The only people who are shipping legally are those that possess a license to do so. And it many cases, the person receiving the shipment must also have a license.

 

[wyzazz]

I don't ship beer, I ship "Yeast Samples in Transport Medium".

 

[tlael]

In four separate boxes with this (and a few peanuts) as packing material.
http://ebeaver.com/
Look at
12 Bottle Pulp
Beer Shipper

 

[MrInternet]

Who exactly is being slapped in the face?

The only people who are shipping legally are those that possess a license to do so. And it many cases, the person receiving the shipment must also have a license.

Well... I said "illegally", I meant "illegally". It is against Federal law to ship alcohol via the USPS. It is not against any laws to do so with common carriers like FedEx or UPS... it is against their "maybe we care, maybe we don't, depends on the counter employee you get that day" POLICIES, but there certainly aren't any laws being broken that would jeopardize the hobby in any way.

So, ship it whatever way you can, just don't use the Postal Service to do it, because to do THAT is, actually, against the law. Unless I have a completely wrong view of things...

 

[Walker]

You said, "slap in the face to the rest of us who ship legally"... that's the part I was questioning.

The carrier is almost irrelevant here. If you are shipping alcohol, you need a license to do so. FedEx and UPS 'official' policy is that you have to provide this license if you are shipping alcohol. Do they enforce it? I don't know, but the real issue is that the government says you must have a license to ship alcohol. If you are shipping within the same state, you need a state license. If you are shipping across state lines, you need a federal license.

USPS is special in that they don't care if you have a license or not, they won't ship your alcohol.

So, if you have shipped alcohol and didn't have a license, you have broken the law. If you shipped it via USPS, you broke another law.

edit: I don't care if you break the law. I just wanted to clear up that shipping USPS is probably no worse than shipping FedEx if you don't have a license. Both are illegal.

 

[MrInternet]

I just wanted to clear up that shipping USPS is probably no worse than shipping FedEx if you don't have a license. Both are illegal.

OK, I guess this is where I apologize and ask for a citation? Thanks man...

 

[Walker]

il dig up the info later if you want, but FedEx website, UPS website, and the ATF website has the info on it

 

[Walker]

OK, I guess this is where I apologize and ask for a citation? Thanks man...

UPS
from http://www.ups.com/wine (they didn't have a page specifically for beer). I added the red color.

Shipping Wine

UPS Wine Program
UPS provides wine shipping services for approved customers who are licensed to ship wine. Select the links below to learn more about our program.

Permissible Shipments
All wine shippers must enter into a UPS Agreement for Approved Wine Shippers.

All wine shippers must be licensed and authorized to ship according to the applicable federal or state laws and regulations of the origin and destination states. UPS does not accept shipments containing wine to or from Massachusetts.

And from FedEx's alcohol shipping agreement (http://www.wineinstitute.org/files/fedex-alcohol_shipping_agreement.pdf)

1. Shipments Covered by this Agreement
a. Terms and Conditions. FedEx shall provide services for wine and alcohol shipments only pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, any FedEx online terms, and the FedEx Service Guide, each as may be amended from time to time. In the event of a conflict between the FedEx Service Guide or any online terms and this Agreement, the online terms shall control.
i. Wine. Licensed dealers, distributors, importers, manufacturers, warehouses and wholesalers may ship wine to other licensed entities and consumers.
ii. Alcohol. Licensed dealers, distributors, importers, manufacturers, warehouses and wholesalers may ship alcohol (beer and spirits other than wine) to other licensed dealers, distributors, manufacturers, importers, warehouses and wholesalers.

The atf website sucks (and is primarily concerned with guns and tobacco), so I am having problems finding the application forms for the license, but I did see it before.

While digging this up, I also go the impression that you have to also have a state license for each state where the shipments will be sent.

 

[Revvy]

The atf website sucks (and is primarily concerned with guns and tobacco), so I am having problems finding the application forms for the license, but I did see it before.

That's because the ATF doesn't care about Booze since 9-11, they sent all the alcohol (and I thought the Tobacco) part of their division to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and only kept the guns part. (Chicks dig cops who bust gun runners, but hate "revenuers." )

Try here, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)

Looks like all the permits and stuff are there.