I dropped off my entries into the Sam Adams Longshot contest at FedEx Kinko’s Wednesday morning. According to Sam Adams’ web site, shipping beer is allowed by most commercial carriers if the beer is being shipped for analytical purposes. Still, they make it very clear that shipping beer to their three drop locations nationwide should not be done via USPS, and both FedEx and Kinko’s web sites make it clear that alcohol is not supposed to be shipped (with exception above).
Not trusting your average FedEx customer service specialist to be aware of the arcana of alcohol shipping (ok for analysis, not for consumption), I decided to tell a fib if I was asked what my packages’ contents were. Bruce told me he wrote “Beer Supplies” on his slip; I thought I’d try “yeast samples.”
Sam Adams didn’t make my life any easier – the shipping address was for “Sam Adams Homebrew Competition” c/o “Beer, Beer and More Beer,” in Riverside, California, and the clerk did ask what was inside. I replied with my canned “yeast samples,” which he followed up with “But not liquid, right?” I think he may have been hinting that I should respond in the negative (which I did) a la the gun store clerk in Beavis and Butthead who asks repeatedly “You boys eighteen? … Let me try this again … you boys eighteen?”
In case you’re wondering, I sent in my English brown ale in two variations, one of which was bottled with a Torrefazione Palermo coffee bean in each bottle (”Bitter Seed Brown”). Bruce sent in his Blueberry lambic and an old ale. We’re both looking forward to getting our judging sheets back, which is a really nice benefit of participating.
I love the idea of this contest, which puts the winner’s beer into mass production by Sam Adams, and sends the finalists to GABF for free, but it seems some of the mechanics could be more finely tuned. Maybe they could add dropoff points in each state? It’s not as if they don’t distribute nationally – maybe the delivery chain could work backwards just this once.
Did you enter the Longshot contest this year or in years past? How’d you handle the shipping dilemma? Must we all be liars?
zak@portlandbeer.org Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:56 amVisit zak@portlandbeer.org
Yes. We must continue the charade until beer lobbyists work as hard as wine lobbyists.
I’m planning on shipping some magnums and 22s back to my hometown. I just hope FEDEx buys the idea that “yeast samples” weigh so damn much.
They usually do.
Michael Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 pmVisit Michael
Pack it well (double box, lots of peanuts) and lie your ass off.
The only thing you’re risking is the loss of the value of what you’re shipping as if it breaks you won’t be able to file a claim. Other than that, ship away.
Case in point, I worked for UPS and in the summer the whole small (package) sorting area smelled like weed. Do you really think people declared their drugs?
D Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 pmVisit D
We declared our package as filled with olive oil when shipping wine back from California to Mississippi. Unfortunately one bottle broke on the last leg of the UPS journey…the trip to our front door. So they sent it all the way back to California before notifying us and would not honor any damage claim :-(
So we ended up with twice the shipping cost and one less bottle of wine (of course the most expensive bottle is the one that broke). UPS guy must have been doing jumping jacks on top of our box though, it was packed really, really well originally.
Dave Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:38 pmVisit Dave
Like mentioned before, double box it, make sure the beers are upright and each in bubble wrap. line the inner box with a garbage bag, place your beers in it, fill with peanuts/shredded newspaper. Tape box shut. Put that box into another garbage bag, place on a styro in second box and fill it with whatever you can. peanuts, cardboard and the like. Works well.
As for talking to the FedEx guy. . . get an online account, weigh it yourself, pay with a credit card, print your labels and just drop off. They don’t as as many questions that way.
For next time.
Cheers and good luck.
-Dave