How do I mail a 6 pack of beer?
Mailing a 6 pack of beer can be complicated, but it should be possible if you follow the regulations in your area. If you’re looking to mail a 6 pack of beer as a gift for someone, you should be aware of the following:
- Check the regulations: Shipping alcohol is often governed by specific regulations, depending on your location and your shipping destination. For example, in the US, it is illegal to ship alcohol via the Postal Service, but specialist private companies are able to transport a 6 pack of beer.
- Pay attention to labelling requirements: As well as marking your package with ‘fragile’, there may be additional bottle labelling requirements you must follow. Check with your carrier and research the requirements for your area and postal service. For example, you may need to label the package as containing alcohol, display the alcohol content by volume (ABV), drink name and country of origin, as well as other information.
- Pack carefully: To ship beer in cans, you will need to use a shipping box and carefully pack the cans inside the box to prevent damage during transit. Bubble wrap, specialist box inserts or paper wrap alternatives can help to absorb shocks to your cans and hold them in position inside their packing box.
Can beer cans be shipped?
Yes, you can ship beer cans! In fact, cans may be easier to ship than bottles because they are less breakable and can be stacked more efficiently. There are a variety of ways you can ship cans of beer, depending on the quantity and format of the beer you’d like to ship.
Beer sizes
Beer is also commonly shipped in bottles, which come in a range of sizes. In the United States, standard beer bottles typically hold 355 milliliters, but large 650 ml bottles are also common. Smaller "split" bottles designed for stronger beers hold 177 ml. Corked champagne-style bottles that hold 750 ml are also popular.
Can you ship a growler of beer?
Glass ‘growlers’ were invented relatively recently, in 1989, by an American microbrewer. A growler was originally a thick glass beer container that allowed draught beer to be taken home. Today, growlers are an airtight beer container, made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel, used to transport beer in small quantities.
Key things to consider when deciding how to ship beer
When researching the answer to “can you ship beer?”, you may have felt overwhelmed with the wealth of information available online. Below, you can find our breakdown of the key things to consider when shipping beer.
Mode of transport
If you’re shipping beer internationally, your beer shipment will likely need to use at least two different modes of transport along the way. Modes of transport for shipping beer include:
- Ocean freight: sea shipping is cost effective, especially for shipping large volumes of beer goods over long distances.
- Air freight: typically used for time-sensitive beer shipments.
- Rail freight: a secure and eco-friendly way to ship beer.
- Road freight: ideal for short-distance journeys, or the start and end of your beer shipment’s international journey, road freight is simple and quick to organize.
Can you ship beer in any type of container?
You can ship beer in many types of container, as long as they are ‘food grade’, from dry containers to insulated containers to refrigerated units. It’s important to understand the types of container, and their benefits to make an informed decision on which one is best for you.
The most common types of containers you can ship beer in are:
- Dry: a dry container is a standard shipping container, available in 20 ft, 40 ft and High Cube sizes.
- Insulated (lined): a lined container helps to maintain a stable internal temperature, while blocking contamination from external conditions, such as unpleasant odours.
- Refrigerated (commonly known as ‘reefer’): a refrigerated container goes a step further, and provides exact to-the-degree temperature controlled conditions inside the container.
- Flexitank: You can also ship beer in a flexitank if it is a decarbonated finished product, or has high gravity (i.e., is concentrated), for brewing and bottling once it reaches its destination. This requires you to ship a large volume of beer, so it may not be suitable for.
You will also need to choose what type of shipping service to ship your beer in:
- FCL: Full Container Load shipping gives you an entire container for your shipment, and is ideal for when you want to move larger quantities of beer. For example, if you wanted to transport 10 VMF pallets (11 EURO pallets) worth of beer, then FCL is the right option.
- LCL: Less than Container load shipping allows you to share the space and cost of a full shipping container with other shippers. When shipping beer with Hillebrand Gori services, your shipment will only be consolidated with other wine, beer or spirits shipments. This removes the risk of cross contamination of your beer. LCL shipping is flexible: you can send anything from a single case to multiple pallet loads.
Can you ship beer without damaging it?
As any micro or home brewer will know, beer is produced via fermentation. This means that beer requires unique storage and shipping conditions to maintain its quality and freshness. These requirements are broadly the same for all kinds of beer. Chiefly, this involves controlling the climactic conditions inside the container.
Temperature
Temperature is a key consideration when wondering “can I ship beer?”. Typically we think of wine as being sensitive to temperature fluctuations during shipping and storage, but exposure to extreme cold or hot temperatures can also affect the quality of your beer. It’s therefore important to understand the risk on your planned shipping route. Beer’s comfort zone is between 5°-20° C (41-68°F). Outside this range, the quality, appearance and taste of your beer can be harmed:
Choose an experienced beer logistics partner
To ensure your beer cans are handled appropriately, find a carrier that specializes in alcoholic beverage shipping. At Hillebrand Gori, we understand the unique handling and consideration that beer shipments require, and can help your shipment to reach its destination safely. Shipping cans of beer doesn’t need to be complicated - get in touch with our team of alcoholic beverage logistics specialists for a detailed answer to your “can you ship beer” query.
Reviewed by Hillebrand Gori
