How to Professionally Distribute Beer Around the Country
I really love beer. No, I really like beer. That means I’m constantly on the lookout for a beer that I can’t get my hands on in my current hometown of San Francisco, and I’m making deals with friends to send me goods from all over the country in exchange for sending them a few bottles of local beer from the west. seaside.
Over the past decade, I’ve probably mailed 100 cases of beer to myself (sometimes postage is cheaper than checking a bag or finding a place in a suitcase on a trip) or friends in the United States. Of all these supplies, I only had one accident: a crushed can that slowly exploded and soaked the box. Luckily for me and the recipient of the box, who turned out to be a friend of mine, the beer-soaked box was still delivered, albeit a few weeks later than planned.) On the contrary, I was sent several boxes of broken beer (the saddest thing in the world) inside.
With all of these packages, I have provided some tips on how to be successful.
Place a trash bag in the drawer.
Accidents happen. What you don’t want is for a minor accident, such as a crushed can or a broken bottle, to wet your box, cause it to break, and result in the loss of an entire box. To do this, I recommend putting a plastic trash bag in the box first (as if you were throwing it in the trash can). Of course, this is unstoppable, but it gives you an extra line of defense in case of the worst. In addition, the plastic bag means that if the box gets wet, it will be more difficult for individual bottles to fall out.
Some beer message boards also recommend using a smaller box inside the box when mailing beer. I have never tried this personally (or have done it with a beer sent to me), but if you have two boxes of the same size, it might not be a bad idea.
Line the sides of the box with bubble wrap
Since I do this a lot, I have a TON of bubble wrap at home. If you don’t, a crumpled newspaper or package of peanuts can have the same effect. The goal is to create a line of defense on the sides, bottom and top of your box. This box is definitely going to be thrown away. Don’t let the beer hit the walls.
Wrap individual bottles with bubble wrap or newspaper
Of the several dozen broken packages I received over time, most of them were due to the fact that someone did not wrap each bottle separately. DO NOT just put 6 packs in a box and mail it to someone. It will break. The person you sent him to will hate you. The postman will hate you. It’s a waste of good beer. Don’t be that guy.
The place where the bottles will break is at the neck. Wrap it up damn it (and the whole bottle). This is best done with bubble wrap (plenty) secured with an elastic band. If you don’t have bubble wrap, you will need something to protect the neck of the bottle. Think to yourself, “If I dropped this on the floor, would it break?” If the answer is yes, or maybe, then you need to wrap it up better. Seriously.
If I mail 12 oz bottles, I sometimes also wrap them in freezer bags. This doubles the water resistance, and I can stuff a lot of newspapers into my bag for an extra layer of protection.
If you really love, you can buy these wine sleeves that will securely protect individual bottles. There are also many polystyrene foam installations for mailing wine. They’re a little expensive IMO for one-time shipping, but if you trade with the same friend regularly, they can be a good investment and one that you could use over and over again to ship back and forth.
Hold it tight
When you close the box, you want to make sure that nothing moves inside. I recommend stacking bottles from top to bottom. This way, the top of one bottle is next to the bottom of the other and stacks them to one side instead of up and down. Ideally, you want to have an extra layer of protection (not just the bubble wrap surrounding the bottles) between each bottle.
That bank incident I mentioned earlier? It came from me when I thought, “Oh, the can won’t break,” and put it next to the bottle that crushed it halfway. Don’t be me. Before closing the lid, shake the box lightly and make sure there is no movement in it. If available, add some more bubble wrap / newspaper. Protect these cans in the same way as bottles, and think about situations where they might get crushed.
Tape each part of the box with tape
The beer is heavy. Your best bet is to just assume that your box won’t hold up and tape it up. I’m not saying tape the box, but be sure to reinforce the seals at the top and bottom of the box with tape in case the glue breaks down while being thrown.
Don’t mail beer in the summer.
Heat is bad news for beer, and summers are hot. At some point in your journey (or most of it), it will be sitting in a hot warehouse or hot truck … or on your hot porch. It will damage your beer. Save the beer trade for fall and winter, when temperatures are low, your beer and the recipient will appreciate it.
Know the rules
USPS does not allow you to mail alcohol. USPS flat rate boxes are pretty good, and you can mail anything you can fit in a box across the country in two days, not for a ton of cash. I will let you use this information however you want.
Here’s a rundown of what you need to do to mail alcohol using traditional delivery services. Inform yourself before you show up with the box, not after.