The Bar Towel

tupalev · Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Posts: 1010

As long as they are "sealed" and you have a receipt, you'll have no trouble (I never have). Of course, I have never really had to explain growlers, as they have been part of a larger bottle buying spree and no one searches the car when you go in to pay duty (99% of the time anyway).

I have never been able to find any official documentation on it.

Doesn't really help, sorry. All I can tell you is I know lots of people including myself who get growler fills regularly.

icemachine · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 2129 Location: Aurora, ON

Do they provide some sort of seal? I'm a bit of newbie when it comes to growlers, the one I got at Church Key was fresh filled and unsealed, the one from the Publican was pre-filled and sealed with a plastic shrink wrap
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"Everything ... is happening" - Bob Cole

tupalev · Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Posts: 1010

In my experience, apart from being filled to the brim and screwed on tight, the growlers in Buffalo are not "sealed" like they are at some Ontario breweries who pre-fill them (Grand River does the same).

icemachine · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 2129 Location: Aurora, ON

Thanks, really looking forward to this trip.
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"Everything ... is happening" - Bob Cole

northyorksammy · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm Post subject:

it wouldn't hurt to tape the opening down with 3M shipping tape

kinguy · Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Posts: 282 Location: Mississauga

northyorksammy · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:

never ever lie to customs
its wrong and they can seize your whole car

kinguy · Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Posts: 282 Location: Mississauga

carguy · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 497 Location: Cambridge, Ontario

I agree. I never lie, but don't tell more than I have to. I always bring back either 12 or 24 bottles, so when they ask, I can say "yep, 24 bottles of beer". They never look, assuming I suppose that it's a case of Coors Light or something, not $250 worth of 650 & 750ml bottles.

Belgian · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 6999 Location: I Heart TO

Am now sipping a Green Flash West Coast IPA... when I got in moments ago I caught myself giggling as I hauled two heavy boxes plus the six of IPA into my house from the car trunk. Unwrapping and sorting the 30 other individual bottles for my cellar I feel like a kid at Christmas admiring every bomber and 750ml.

SOME of the Buffalo beer-hunting highlights
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast
Ølfabrikken Porter X 2
Southern Tier Iniquity + Jah-va + Chokolat + Oat
Green Flash Stout, + 6 of the IPA
Weyerbacher XIII + Old Heathen
Smuttynose Imperial Stout 2008
Avery Maharaja IPA
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Brooklyn Local 1
Chouffe Houblon + McChouffe
Quelque-Chose + Don de Dieu
Rogue Mocha Porter
Sierra Nevada Harvest 2009 (4 bucks a bomber!)
De Dolle Oerbier + Ommegang 'red'
* NEW * Limfjords "Double Brown Stout Porter" (is a Danish Baltic Porter that Premier just got in.)
http://ratebeer.com/beer/thisted-limfjords-porter-double-brown-stout/7357/

Store wise I hit Casual Male XL for size 15 shoes, Premier Gourmet, Village Beer, and no less than TWO Wegmans stores (the beer section in Amherst had more options than Lewiston, plus a 'cold room' for your absolutely fresh bombers of Stone and Southern Tier.) Follow Niagara Falls BLVD south towards Buffalo.

Customs don't always care what you bring in, or even assess it by ABV bottle-for-bottle (just the sale value.) It's their discretion. My '36' fully declared bottles were mostly bombers in the 8-13% ABV range. bur cost only 50-60 bucks in surcharges at the border.
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In Beerum Veritas "... I will tell you in another life, when we are both cats..."

AlanB · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 62

From the Canada Customs website. (I've edited it down to just the parts about beer):
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Alcohol - Restrictions apply to the amount of alcohol you can bring into Canada under your exemption. If you have been outside Canada for at least 48 hours and are of legal age, you can bring in these amounts of alcohol products free of duty and tax as part of your personal exemption:

* 24 X 355 ml (12 oz.) containers of beer [that's 8.5L of beer, equivalent ot 4 growlers or 4 six-packs or eleven bombers or any combination thereof]

If you bring in more than the free allowance of alcohol or tobacco, you will be required to pay the applicable duties and taxes.

This counts against your personal exemption, which is as follows:
* 24 hours or more, you can bring in CAN$50 worth of goods free of duty and tax;
o If the goods you bring in are worth more than CAN$50 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead you have to pay full applicable duties and taxes on all goods you bring in.
* 48 hours or more, you can bring in CAN$400 worth of goods free of duty and tax;
* 7 days or more, you can bring in CAN$750 worth of goods free of duty and tax.

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As someone has pointed out, a 2-hour stay for a six-pack often (but not always) gets waved through.
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Too many beers, too little time...

Belgian · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 6999 Location: I Heart TO

Appreciate that Alan, but I don't worry about 'limits' or possible border costs - if it happens it happens.

Only once of the past few times did they levy my substantial purchase, and I was being straighforward and honest.
_________________
In Beerum Veritas "... I will tell you in another life, when we are both cats..."

Sanchex · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 60 Location: Toronto

Belgian: What do you mean by Ommegang 'red'? I had Ommegang Rouge on draft at Cole's but was under the impression that it was draft only. I liked it way better than Duchesse De Bourgogne... it had a nice dry tartness.

Belgian · Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 6999 Location: I Heart TO

Ommegang Abbey Ale. Still have not tried it or the Three Phils Quad. The Biére de Mars was fantastic!! Want to enjoy the Hennepin with my Pops this week, only ever had that one on draught and the 750-bottle should be a little different.

I believe radek was saying Coles is pretty kick-ass, and you remind me I should make a few notes for my next trip, if I can remember what he said. Who is the guy that runs the place again? Cheers!
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In Beerum Veritas "... I will tell you in another life, when we are both cats..."

sprague11 · Joined: 19 Sep 2008 Posts: 1372 Location: Newmarket, ON

ive paid duty maybe twice in the last 20 or 30 times going across. It largely depends on the border guard you encounter, but I've regularly brought back a case of beer, given the total dollar amount, and was met with "You spent THAT much on beer?" I guess most of the Canucks heading back take advantage of the 12 dollar 24 packs of Bud and Labbatts. I've had a couple of the Queentston customs agents actually ask me if i;d recommend what I was bringing back.

When I loaded up on Yulesmith last year, I told them I had 10 bottles (which I did - 10 bombers) at 75 dollars. the gentleman at CDN customs actualy said "You probably paid enough" and let me go without paying a cent in taxes, so occasionally you do get lucky.

Which reminds me - It's almost time to hit Michigan for a camping trip!