Which Breweries Sell Direct to Consumers Online?

don't wineries have to adhere to the three-tier system as well?

 

Beer is treated differently, as far as I know. Here is an article (dated) that points out the difference:

http://seattlebeernews.com/2010/03/...inesses-shipping-to-consumers/comment-page-1/

 

Contrary to beer geek mythology, there is no universal "Three Tier System" on the federal level, and every state's Three Tier laws are different. Many prohibit all out of state alcohol shipments, some allow wine shipments both in and from out of state, some have "reciprocal" agreements, etc.

 

"Good Lord, shipping from here is expensive. Any idea if the 3rd party stuff they sell is fresh? (i.e. ZD)" -BoobyTrappist

You answered the question for me. It is NOT cost effective for anyone involved to ship individual cases of beer across the country (or world). Couple that with the laws being different in all 50 states, it should be pretty evident why breweries don't ship 6pks to a customer in in FL when the brewery is in OH.

 

There are a ton of threads about the "three tier system", some of the naysayers on this thread should search them and really read them. As someone who's been in the beverage business for the last 15 years, not just as a distributor, the "three tier system" has provided so many benefits to the beer business it is quite literally on of the reasons the craft portion of the industry HAS grown so much. There are crappy distributors, crappy laws, crappy retailers, and yes.... crappy beers out there. But the truth is the three tier system provides a couple of the most crucial pieces to any puzzle.. logistics.... access to customers beyond a 20 mile radius surrounding a brewery... cost efficient shipping. Without these things provided by distributors, you would not find beers being sold any distance from where they are brewed.

 

$20 shipping for a $13 bottle of beer? I'll pass.

 

Wineries do direct sale to consumers in various states through mail order all the time. Almost every winery has a club. Any state that prevents this is due to the strangle hold that the distributors have over the legislation in order to protect their monopoly under the guise of "protecting the children."

 

I am not saying their shouldn't be distributors. It's the laws of various states that give rise to the mandatory 3 tier system that is bad for consumers.

There is no comparable law for food and yet somehow grocery stores are filled with a variety of foods delivered by distributors and yet you can still buy that same food via mail order, if you chose, via Amazon or direct from the seller. Why shouldn't I be able to buy my beer and wine with the same ease?

 

Please check the Brewer's Association webpage on the the subject for more clarification...

http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/government-affairs/self-distribution-laws

There are only 15 states in the country which prohibit self-distribution... now realize that this ONLY applies to wholesaling beer... I don't know of any state that prohibits a brewery from selling directly to a consumers. So unless you run a beer shoppe, I don't see how this system would affect you directly. Truth is that even if self-distribution was allowed, without the middle tier no brewery from out of state would be allowed to self-distribute there without getting a whole other license.....

 

"There is no comparable law for food and yet somehow grocery stores are filled with a variety of foods and yet you can still buy that same food via mail order, if you chose, via Amazon or direct from the seller. Why shouldn't I be able to buy my beer and wine with the same ease?"

Because beer and wine are controlled substances with age requirements and more importantly... taxes. Most food stuffs have no excise taxes. Dirty secret for you... most alcohol regulation (aside from the 21 year age req.) is about taxes...at the federal and state level.. the government's got to get paid! If you change the rules, you have a harder time collecting the taxes.

 

That's not my problem. I'm against those rules. Period. I want freedom, not restriction. With technology today, they can figure out how to collect the taxes. They are doing it with sales tax, they can do it with excise taxes.

The reason the laws exist is because distributors want them to so they can maintain their profits. They lobby their state legislature to keep them in place.

And who cares about those 15 states anyways.

 

Question for folks- how much does shipping cost for Cascade? Is it a fixed amount or per bottle? Would he interested in ordering 4. It wants me to out my info in first. Thanks.

 

I just got a quote for 3 bottles from them, and shipping to VA was like 25$

 

Thanks. Not terrible but not worth it for me at the moment.

 

Snake River in Jackson WY does.

 

$25 to ship 3 beers.... Jesus... why do these inane threads keep popping up? Ya'll complain about $13 sixpacks or $8 bombers... try slapping an additional $7 a bottle for shipping on that! Ya.. deregulate and let everyone ship anywhere they want.. good luck with that one.

 

Yet people ship bottles in trade all the time on this board. Somehow, the shipping price doesn't get in the way....

Let us have the choice. It's pretty simple.

 

"Yet people ship bottles in trade all the time on this board. Somehow, the shipping price doesn't get in the way...."

The trades on this, or any other beer website, account for .00000000000000000000001% of the beer real beer business. Last words on the subject for review... scale, logistics, cost. moving on.

 

Boy, this thread veered off subject fast... from inquiring about breweries that ship directly to the inevitable diatribe of the woes of the three tier system to the inflated price of shipping...

I didnt see that one coming....

 

Yes, could we get back to posting which companies we can order direct from? Especially ones that ship to Canada. *AHEM*