Liquor re-location services?

I have been noticing as of late some good scotches are getting harder to find in my home state, and I have heard from some friends that the stuff they are looking for is non-existant in their home state yet relatively easy to find here.

Im thinking about creating a website for private enthusiasts to exchange bottles amongst themselves in exchange for other bottles or cash. "Creative Gifting" services really...

Are there any legal problems with this? Last I checked private sales were still ok, however Im completely unaware of how state borders would affect this.

-Robert

Reply to
Spec
Loading thread data ...

From what I remember from my days in the retail wine business, it's just a mess to send liquor across state lines. It's even more risky to do it for remuneration. Selling liquor, especially across state lines, requires a gazillion permits.

Nice idea, though!

Reply to
Jeff Folloder (TES)

Shipping alcoholic beverages to some states is a felony, with limited exceptions (I live in Georgia where this is the case). Some states allow reciprocal deals (if we can ship to you, you can ship to us). Every State is interested in getting tax money on alcohol and most want to protect their wholesalers from any competition.

Check out the Wine Institute's site where you can find more info about the various laws. TWI is mostly interested in direct shipment of wine from wineries, but you can read 'alcoholic beverage' for 'wine' when asking about each State's laws.

formatting link

-- regards, Fred

"Verbing weirds language." -- Calvin

Reply to
Fred

I wonder, however, if sending gifts of alcohol is against the law (I assume we are only talking the U.S. here as I have no idea what the situation is in other parts of the world). If it isn't then maybe sending whisky of equal value to each as a "gift" is an idea. i.e. I can get a X bottle of scotch is MA that you cannot get in CA and visa versa. We agree that we both want each others whisky and, therefore, we agree to send each other the bottle that we cannot get in our home state.

If this isn't illegal then nice going. IF you trust the other person; IF it isn't abused; IF you can't call up your local liquor distributor and have him/her order it for you (which I've always been able to do). Too many "ifs".

I've always have been able to get any whiskey I've wanted by calling a good liquor store and have them order it, assuming that it is distributed in the U.S. to begin with.

Reply to
DaveS

If I can find someone to send me a bottle of Glenfiddich Havana Reserve or some good Japanese whisky then I say screw the law, I'm willing to take a chance of getting caught. This is the twenty-first century, I should be able to buy these things off the net and have them shipped across state lines.

Reply to
Von Fourche

No, no, receiving isn't the crime, shipping it is the crime. They don't punish you, they punish the sender.

Clever devils, eh?

If you can pay off the State legislature as well as the liquor wholesale lobby, then you might be able to do it. Yes, I'm cynical.

-- regards, Fred

"Verbing weirds language." -- Calvin

Reply to
Fred

I think the Glenfiddich has been renamed 'Gran Reserva' and will be made available in the U.S. soon, so hang in there. I've had Yamazaki and Nikka shipped to me from The Whisky Exchange in England, so it's there if you want to try. They supposedly guarantee delivery - at astronomical shipping cost. If I remember correctly from your previous posts, you live in a state with some draconian liquor laws, so maybe you should call first...

Reply to
SleepyWeevil

Oh boy! I can't believe they actually have Japanese whisky for sell. I think I'm going to give them a shot.

But, I'm a little worried. I don't mind paying the price for the whisky and shipping, but their site wants the social security number of the person receiving the liquor for customs clearance. If I give them my soc. number, wont the U.S. government then know I live in a state that is illegal to have liquor shipped to people? Plus, their site says the purchaser will pay tax on the liquor after it arrives in North America. So, if I pay the tax wont they again know I live in a non-ship state?

Reply to
Von Fourche

How did you pay the customs charge and tax when you ordered from The Whisky Exchange? Their site says tax and customs are to be paid when the shipment arrives in the U.S. Is the cost of the customs and tax already including in the regular order? Or do you have to send a check to some port on the east coast before they send you the liquor?

Reply to
Von Fourche

On Sun, 7 Nov 2004, Fred vociferated:

}On Sun, 7 Nov 2004 15:38:48 -0500, "Spec" }wrote: } }>Im thinking about creating a website for private enthusiasts to exchange }>bottles amongst themselves in exchange for other bottles or cash. "Creative }>Gifting" services really... }>

}>Are there any legal problems with this? Last I checked private sales were }>still ok, however Im completely unaware of how state borders would affect }>this. } }Shipping alcoholic beverages to some states is a felony, with limited }exceptions (I live in Georgia where this is the case). Some states }allow reciprocal deals (if we can ship to you, you can ship to us). }Every State is interested in getting tax money on alcohol and most }want to protect their wholesalers from any competition.

Having homebrewed for years I did some research in this area re shipping homebrew to various friends and family out of state. The situation is, to say the least, complex. The laws not only vary between the federal government and the state, but from state to state, county to county, and sometimes even from town to town.

Shipping alcoholic beverages via the US Postal Service is just illegal, period. UPS and FedEx will ship, but only from certain places to certain other places.

I found, for example, that (several years ago, at least) it was illegal to ship alcohol /out/ of Oregon, but it was OK to ship it in (e.g. 'beer of teh month' clubs). Conversely, it was illegal to ship it /in/ to New York state, but OK to ship it out. Thus my option for sending a case of brew to my brother in New York was given as "you can go to Idaho and ship it from there to Pennsylvania, and he can go to Pennsylvania and pick it up."

I opted instead to go the "more easily forgiven than permitted" route -- I packed the brew so that it could be drop-kicked out a 3rd story window and land undamaged, then I mailed it from Oregon to NY. On the 'description of contents' part of the label I wrote "organic juice."

I guess the moral of the story is, while I wouldn't recommend this for any kind of ongoing business, the best approach for the odd shipment now and then is to pack it well, lie about the contents, and ship by the most economical carrier available at the time. ;-)

Dr H

Reply to
Dr H

I just called and ordered. Give it a shot. At worst, you lose a few bucks. At best, you can get a bottle of whatever you want.

Reply to
SleepyWeevil

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.