Shipping beer requires a bit more effort and patience compared to shipping any other beverage. For one, it is prohibited to send beer or any other alcoholic beverages via the United States Postal Service. Every state also has different regulations regarding the shipment of alcoholic drinks which involve permits and licenses if shipping commercial quantities of alcohol.
Glass bottles are usually used as beer containers. This is another reason why shipping beer requires a bit more elbow grease. The bottles must be packed properly to avoid breakage and spills.
But there is no reason to fret if you are a beer lover or a home-brewer looking for ways to send or trade just a few bottles of booze. Here are some tips on how to pack and ship beer.
To avoid any problems, do not use the USPS when shipping beer. Private carriers can ship booze without unnecessary hassles as long as your item is properly packed and sealed against leakages. Remember that when a package starts to leak, it is immediately taken out of the shipping process and thrown away to prevent contaminating the other shipment.
Check each bottle before packing them. Only ship beer bottles with well-sealed caps. Place each bottle in a Ziploc bag, roll the excess around the bottle, making sure to get rid of the air, then zip it shut. This way, the liquid will be contained in the bag and will not leak through the package in case of a bottle breaks during transit.
Roll the entire bottle in several layers of bubble wrap and secure it with tape. Also, secure the top and bottom ends of the wrap with tape.
Get a box that is big enough to accommodate your wrapped beer bottles and allow for more extra space for packing materials in between the bottles and along the sides of the box.
Line the box with two strips of bubble wrap going in opposite directions with extra flaps that you can fold over.
Arrange the bottles in the box, making sure to provide spaces in between them for packing materials. You can use bubble wrap or waded up newspaper to fill spaces between the bottles and sides of the box. This will prevent the box from shifting and bumping into each other.
Fold in the extra bubble wrap lining and close the flaps of the box. Seal with packaging tape.
Address and label the package and bring it to your shipping company.
The shipping company doesn’t need to know exactly what you are shipping. As long as your package is well-packed, just tell them the truth that you are sending a birthday gift, glassware, or yeast samples, but only if they asked.