Forbes: Pushback Against Tasting Rooms

If the packaging and 'quantity' of cold packs are sufficient this could work.

I have ordered yeast from homebrew vendors and requested cold packs and by the time the package arrived at my house the cold pack was warm (e.g., room temperature). Needless to say but the packaging and 'quantity' that my homebrew vendors implement is not sufficient.

Cheers!

 

I would think that it would cost more to ship a case of beer cross country than the beer itself cost. Perhaps a BA who trades beer could tell us how much it cost to ship beer.

 

For single premium beers, you definitely can still get the beer into the customer's hands at the same price or cheaper, even with shipping.

 

Back in the early 2000s I used to order beer from the west coast, and the seller used a common freight carrier (numerous accounts 'sharing' the same truck). In that case, the more I ordered the more efficient the shipping became (there was an initial shipping charge, plus a kicker for weight). The threshold where it seemed reasonable to me was a minimum order of 4 or 5 cases; and less 'per case' for each case over that.

Naturally, I did that because there was added value in those particular beers based on where I lived, and it was worth the extra cost to have access to them. I haven't done it in a while, though . But the bottom line is that people will pay more (within certain limits) for something that they desire and can't get any other way. Where that price and value converge is going to be different for each person and each beer, but there are a hell of a lot more people who think that way now than when I was doing it.

When it comes to the trading scene lately, and based on the last few boxes I've sent, it seems to be an extra $2-4 per container depending on distance or overall weight (cans are lighter). That's much more than the common freight carrier cost, but one would hope that that could also still be an option.

 

Yeah, I guess, with swapping out shipping with what it would have cost to ship to a wholesaler.

 

and eliminating the markup from the retailer

 

Homebrew shops get the yeast shipped to them in styrofoam lined boxes with cold packs. I was given one by my local shop, it was great for shipping bottles of competition entries off. Too big for one or two pack of yeast, though.

 

Yup, I have seen though BIG styrofoam boxes at my LHBS. There is no doubt that the yeast arrives OK to my LHBS from Wyeast, White Labs,...

When I order a packet of yeast from online homebrew vendors if comes in a cardboard 'envelope' along with a small ice pack (white plastic pack). Invariably that small ice pack is warm when it arrives to my house.

BIG styrofoam boxes with lots of ice pack(s) should help beer arrive cool/cold but needless to say it would be an expense.

Cheers!