Has anyone here ever shipped beer or wine back home from a trip?

[bryanZ06]

My wife and I will be in California later on this year and I'll have some really good craft beers available that I can't normally get my hands on in Georgia. I've looked online at the legalities (or lack thereof) involved in shipping beer/wine and found a million opinions, but nothing concrete on how to do it/who to use.

Thus far in my research I have found:

It's not legal through USPS, but people do it anyway.

It's legal through FedEx/UPS, but you have to have some kind of permit or license as a distributor to ship alcohol with them.


If anyone can help me figure out how to get a decent amount of Pliny the Elder back home (short of hiring the Bandit and Snowman) it would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Admiral Blue]

I think that if they are under 4 liters you can put them in your carry-on, or something like that. :confused5: ;)

[MrPeabody]

Have you contacted the brewery directly? It's legal to ship from California, but some states have laws about shipping it to there.

[99 pewtercoupe]

Cant speak to beer but most states allow shipments from wineries direct to your home. Talk to the people at the brewery regarding it. I have had wine delivered multiple times after visiting an out of state winery and wanting a case shipped to me.

[MrPeabody]

They ship anywhere in the US. At least their gift shop does. Here's a link.

Gift Shop - Russian River Brewing Company (http://russianriverbrewing.com/gift-shop/)

[bryanZ06]

They ship anywhere in the US. Here's a link.

Gift Shop - Russian River Brewing Company (http://russianriverbrewing.com/gift-shop/)

They ship the merchandise in the gift shop throughout the US. Sadly the beer is not included.

Frequently Asked Questions (http://russianriverbrewing.com/frequently-asked-questions/)

Do you ship directly to consumers from your brewery?

No, we do not. We have done so in the past, but liquor laws are getting more and more complicated in the “reciprocal” shipping states. But the main reason is we just don’t have enough beer!

[TripleBlack]

Georgia is a "ship to state" according to a quick google. Best just have the winery ship it to you.

[joecaver]

a few years ago when we were in CA we bought a bunch of wine and had it shipped. It wasn't a big deal. They had boxes with pre-shapped foam inserts made just for that purpose. I don't recall being told of a limit on how much you could ship. The only stipulation was that you have to be at home when it is delivered. It has to be signed for by an adult of legal age to drink. They will not leave it at your door. You could buy any wine and ship it to yourself but there are some wines that you could not buy online and have shipped to your home if you live in GA. The State Of GA has some rules about which wines they allow you to buy. I hope some of that helps. Enjoy your beer.

[island14]

I asked the post office here awhile back to see if it was ok to ship some Tanduay Rhum back to the USA.

They told me it was not legal, and also said it was against the rules to send anything liquid.

[Dave]

I get wine shipped to me all the time. Most wineries use FedEx.

If you're shipping it from yourself to yourself, just go with FedEx or UPS. Ask the winery for a shipping box, fill it, ship it. Shouldn't be any sign-for requirements if it's not the winery doing the shipping, and I wouldn't think you'd need to even live in a ship-to state.

I've also packed one of those USPS flat rate boxes with beer to mail to friends out of state. Never thought twice about it.

[StaticCling]

I have smartly packed bottles of booze in my check in luggage, just be careful how you pack them. :seasix:

[Thunder22]

a few years ago when we were in CA we bought a bunch of wine and had it shipped. It wasn't a big deal. They had boxes with pre-shapped foam inserts made just for that purpose. I don't recall being told of a limit on how much you could ship. The only stipulation was that you have to be at home when it is delivered. It has to be signed for by an adult of legal age to drink. They will not leave it at your door. You could buy any wine and ship it to yourself but there are some wines that you could not buy online and have shipped to your home if you live in GA. The State Of GA has some rules about which wines they allow you to buy. I hope some of that helps. Enjoy your beer.

:iagree: I've shipped wine back to NY and NJ from trips to Napa a few times. There is a store in town that has the shipping boxes with the foam inserts. You can also bring them with you on the plane as checked baggage, but the airline fees might exceed the shipping costs.

[bryanZ06]

Thanks for the help everyone. :seasix: