How do you ship brew? Who do you use?

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Bill · #1 Post by **Bill** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:13 pm

I occasionally have to go to the home office in California, and with all the GREAT places to have good beer, alas, the "open bar" only has Miller Lite, Bud Light and Coors Light for beer, some crappy table wines and no booze.
I found that one of my coworkers in California is also a home brewer and been one for several years.
My plan is to send brew to him so he can pony up with it in his car so we can go outside to take 'smoke breaks' and drink the good stuff.
What is the best way to get it sent?
In my research (or googling if you want) I have heard that every service doesn't want to ship alcohol. Well, considering I know that some of you guys and gals ship beer, so.... HOW AND WHO??

TIA

pc · #2 Post by pc » Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:11 pm

If I was in California, I'd want to drink some West Coast brew that you can't get around here!

I've used UPS and FedEx before. It is illegal to ship beer via the postal service. The private companies won't do it either if you tell them it is beer. If they ask you what you're shipping, I always say bbq sauce, but sometimes they don't ask.

Ship it ground or three day if you can, or it will cost a fortune. Pack it very carefully.

Bill · #3 Post by **Bill** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:03 pm

pc wrote:If I was in California, I'd want to drink some West Coast brew that you can't get around here!

I've used UPS and FedEx before. It is illegal to ship beer via the postal service. The private companies won't do it either if you tell them it is beer. If they ask you what you're shipping, I always say bbq sauce, but sometimes they don't ask.

Ship it ground or three day if you can, or it will cost a fortune. Pack it very carefully.

Thanks Pete. Trust me, I'd much rather head out and hit some of the breweries, but even Pyramid is about 25 minutes from Oakland. I don't have a car and don't feel comfortable taking the BART after a night of drinking and not knowing my way around their subway.
Luckily Pacific Coast Brewing (they do extract batches only but have 15 guest beers) is RIGHT NEXT DOOR, so I usually go there and get my drink on and talk w/ Paul, but the tabs get kinda expensive. Besides, I want some of the people I work with to try my brew.
I'm still waiting to time it out to be in Oakland when PC Brewing has Pliney on tap. They do carry it, but never when I'm there. bastards.

As for shipping, I was thinking of saying "it's a yeast cultures suspended in a sugar solution", which, technically, it is or was anyway.

But I think that BBQ sauce is a good one, I'll probably use that if they even ask.