Odd ball question, dealing with shipping

[Redpappy]

I am looking for both legal as well as a don’t ask don’t tell... since I am starting to home brew, I would like to share my stuff . I have seen where people do a 12 beer for Xmas and send it to other members in the USA. Where ( fed ex, UPS, ) or how would I send home brew from the US to the UK legally, if it is possible.

 

[C-Rider]

I use UPS and tell them it's home made ceramics. LOL

 

[JohnSand]

I have used UPS and USPS, though technically the Post Office is not allowed to ship alcoholic beverages.
If asked I say it's preserves.
A serious consideration at this time of year is freezing. I have had bottles freeze and leak. Either method of shipping may leave bottles in unheated trucks or warehouses. My current method is to use 8oz plastic soda bottles and then vacuum seal them.

 

[MaxStout]

Legal version: I believe UPS will ship alcoholic beverages to UK and other EU nations on a "per contract" basis. In other words, the person shipping (you) needs to be a registered producer. The person receiving will likely need to pay an excise duty (since the shipment is coming from outside the EU). I doubt you'll want to jump through all those hoops.

Don't ask, don't tell version: Package it up, send it and roll the dice as to whether or not it will reach its destination. You'll need to fill out some customs declaration at UPS, not sure what to tell you to state as the contents. You can decide what to declare on that. I cannot advise you to do something illegal, so let's just call this a hypothetical exercise.

 

[masskrug]

I got a box from the shipper, purchased and made the label online and then I just dropped it off at the shipper. For packing, I used PET bottles, wrapped them in a garbage bag and sprayed expanding foam around the bag for a tight fit.

 

[BongoYodeler]

I have a "BBQ and marinade business." I've never shipped internationally.

 

[mr_stout]

I have seen people ship beer in plastic soda bottles. There is no glass to break.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

From a legal perspective, it gets much simpler if it's <0.5%, so if you wanted to do it by the book then it gets much easier if you sent wort with newly-pitched yeast - but obviously that gets unpredictable from a bottle bomb point of view! Maybe less so at this time of year.

But broadly, at the UK end I don't think anyone will get too worried about the odd bottle of beer, if no money is changing hands. It gets very complicated if it's happening commercially though. Label them as "water samples for analysis"? Brown, with visible sediment, in a plastic bottle? Noone's going to look too closely...

You might want to think about transport though - an aircraft hold is cold and low pressure.

 

[PADave]

You are sending yeast samples. Nothing wrong with that, and yes there is yeast in the bottles. I'd be more concerned with costs. That's going to be some pricey brew.