Is Shipping Beer Worth It?

nice.

If you plan right, you can put a carry on in the bigger suitcase packed with your stuff and then split them up for the flight home.

If you get free bag check, might as well pack with all kinds of supplies for the safe journey.

 

It really depends upon your own situation, I guess. I live in Seattle, I work for a company headquartered in Minneapolis (which includes easy access to Hudson, Wisconsin) that I travel to frequently, and get down to Portland every once in a while. Given the beer access I have in these three locales, I haven't found shipping/trading to be worth the added time and money it takes.

With that said, I will, every once in a blue moon, agree to a trade someone else reaches out to me to suggest to help a brother or sister out.

 

If your in Boston or Charleston there will be enough good options available to you without paying to ship beer. Its wasteful not only from a financial standpoint but also an environmental standpoint. I doubt you'll run out of beer to try in Boston. Not worth it.

 

Is it worth it to give gifts for Christmas? Shopping for Christmas gifts can be a huge pain. Shipping can be a pain as well. I've found that I LOVE opening the boxes I get from fellow traders! But I also like getting Christmas and birthday gifts too.

If you are talking about shipping to yourself, I'd probably not do that. I'm sure there a great locals to be enjoyed in both locations. Try them all!

 

Not really unless you live in an area that isn't producing good beer. Most of the rare and hard to find beers have an equally good or better option sitting on your local shelves, at least in my area. If you're looking to try local beers from around the country, the money you'd spend on trading could easily be spent on a nice trip to a different region with tons of new options for beer.

 

I have two small kids and work 60 hours a week. A trip to a different region usually involves more zoo and less brew. I love shipping beer to people and having it shipped to me. It costs too much and there is plenty of good beer in my area, but whatever. I will never get tired of having a friend of mine say "Man this is good, where did you get it?" and me replying "Oh, a buddy of mine sent it to me. I don't think we get it around here." That happens less and less often as I find myself gravitating to people who have similar interests in beer.

 

If you really enjoy trying new beers not from your area, then yes. I've been thrilled with all my trades and wish I could do several a month.

 

Not really.

 

Think of it as spending twice as much as you would if you bought the bottle, or can at your local shop. You do the math. To some its worth it, to others it isn't. If you simply must have it and are willing to donate your left nut to science, you wouldn't even have to ask.

 

I'd mailed the Alcohol Beverage Control in CA to request their permission if I could bring my collection; here's the response:
"Legally, unlicensed persons cannot bring in alcoholic beverages for personal or household use from another state whether transported in a private vehicle or a common carrier (e.g., a commercial moving van). The Department has no authority to issue a temporary importer permit on a "one-time" basis. I regret my reply could not be more favorable."

I thank the ABC personnel for taking their time to review my request and responding to it. Hopefully someday the laws and regulations will change to make all of this a non-hassle. Until then, drink up my friends. Hoarding beer ain't fun...

 

emphatically not worth it. drink local. the beer is fresher at 60% of the cost. it's a no-brainer.

 

It depends on what type of beer you like. I have been loving BCBS lately. There is nothing I can buy off the shelf in SD that is remotely as good, so I trade for it. I've had plenty of Speedway Stout. Not the same universe. BA Speedway, sure - but how often can I get that again?

I also trade from time to time for Zombie Dust. Even after warming in a UPS truck on the way here, it is better than any APA I have had in SD, including fresh tapped, just released Hoppy Birthday at Alpine's brewpub.

IPA's I don't trade for unless something fun to have like a Two Hearted keg. Plenty of IPA here in San Diego.

 

YES!!!! End of Thread

 

First you'd have to be stopped, then searched. Odds of this are fairly slim unless it's your habit to drive like a maniac. Then if you did get pulled over and the copper did search you and did notice your excessive amount of beer, you'd have to be a class A douche to an officer of just about any level of jurisdiction to be charged/cited for bringing your beer collection across state lines when moving, IMO. Contrary to popular belief, cops are not assholes with a gun and a badge looking to find a reason to make your life miserable. It's not like you have a trunk full of moonshine here. Does this mean it's not possible to get cited and charged? No. It is the law and anything is possible. I simply think the odds are very slim of a person getting pulled over, searched, and then acting like a douche and/or finding that one cop who is just out to screw your day.

If you'll read the e-mail response you got, you'll note that it says "common carrier" which means shipping beer via UPS or FedEx is just as illegal if you are unlicensed to do so. So you might as well put it in your car, since the same laws apply. If moving, I would rather trust my beer collection, however large or small, to my own driving and handling skills rather than a guy kicking boxes around for UPS.

If I had a U-Haul truck worth of good beers I really wouldn't think twice about packing it up and driving it with me to my new home. Legally your ONLY other option is to leave those beers behind. I wouldn't really worry about getting pulled over, even knowing there's a very slight possibility something could go wrong.

I have family that lives in Illinois and I live in Missouri. I frequently buy cases of beer in Illinois and drive it home to Missouri and have never once worried about getting busted for bootlegging.