Beer from a U.S. day trip

Hopaholic · Post by **Hopaholic** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:34 pm

also was suprised that of all places, sunoco has 12 different craft brews on tap and does growler fills

kmallett · Post by **kmallett** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 8:24 pm

I was over a few weeks ago and bought quite a bit of stuff (over $200 worth of various beers and some other items). Figured there was a 95% chance of getting charged duty anyway, I just filled out my declaration card and crossed at the Whirlpool bridge which is for Nexus holders only.

If you fill out the TDC and put it in the box coming up to the customs booth, they will usually just wave you through. The guard didn't notice me put the card in the box and asked me the standard questions about what I bought and how long I was there. Once I told him that I put the declaration card in the box, he said that was good and waved me through. They charge the applicable duty to the credit card you put on the declaration card, but when the bridges are busy it does save you some time. Definitely worth it on long weekends when the wait can be very long.

Even the Canadian customs guy I spoke to when getting the Nexus card said if the bridges aren't busy you should take your chances going through the regular lanes and they may not bother charging tax.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 8:34 pm

Learned something interesting today. If you have beer shipped to a US address, pick it up and bring it across the border in your car, you are charged HST on the shipping charge. Ridiculous.

Ukie · Post by **Ukie** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 3:50 pm

pushkinwow wrote:Have had some interesting experiences coming back from the US into Ontario. The most beer you can bring into Ontario is 45 litres (this actually applies to all alcohol) plus your duty free allowance (1 case) before its considered importing for commercial purposes. Dollar amount doesn't seem to matter but if you are there for 48 hours I highly recommend taking your most expensive beers and making a custom case to declare as duty free (friend declared a 24 of Angel’s share last year coming back from Philly and that eliminated $375 from his total beer bill). I find the best way to deal with things is just to be honest – answer what ever questions they have, if they don’t ask then no worries, and be prepared with receipts, bottle count and total litres just in case. Without the duty free case I would say its closer to 30% total duty but sometimes it can work out to as little as a 10% premium, especially with our dollar being so high right now and a nice very high priced 24 that you declare as your duty free allowance.

Just to clarify, after 48 hours you are allowed $400 worth of goods including the price of 24 beer. So if your friend declared $375 of beer that would have allowed him $25 of other goods. Its not $400 plus 24 beer. Going over you would be responsible for all duty, taxes and LCBO levies on the excess.

Back in the day things were a lot tighter but still being honest is a good policy. They still rip cars apart.

sprague11 · Post by **sprague11** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 4:18 pm

I'll be heading to visit some friends in Frankenmuth in a couple weeks. will likely bring back a case of Backwoods bastard or a mixture of different MI beers.

Kish84 · Post by **Kish84** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:29 pm

Heading to Detroit this weekend to hopefully watch my Lions rebound from a bad loss.

Going up Saturday, coming back Monday. So far plans are Kuhnhenn, Slow's BBQ, maybe Roast, and one or both of Merchant's Fine Wine and Champane's Wine Cellars. Depending what's available in the Detroit area, may head out to Ann Arbor for some Jolly Pumpkin.

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:05 am

Just did that this weekend! Hit Cloverleaf in Royal Oak, and Champanes for bottles.

I liked both shops, Cloverleaf had more singles, and a slightly more interesting selection in some ways. Cool old building.

Champanes seemed generally a bit cheaper but I didn't really keep that close an eye on the prices. They didn't have many "Wow! I have to get this!" bottles, but had some good deals on stuff like Bells six packs. I picked up a 750 of Abbaye de Rocs Grand Cru for $8-9. Both shops were nice, depends what you are looking for really. Jolly Pumpkin bombers were cheaper here than I paid at the JP cafe in Ann Arbor.

I regret not picking up some B Nektar Funky Monky since the reviews look awesome. picked up a couple of meads at Kuhnhenn that look interesting as well.

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 10:06 am

I like Red Wagon Shoppe in Troy for their prices even if their selection isn't as good as Champanes, and the Black Lotus Brewpub offers some pretty good food and beer as well

burningrome · Post by **burningrome** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:57 am

I head over to Royal Oak for a Trader Joes run almost everytime I'm back in Windsor....hadn't heard of either Cloverleaf or any of the others! Good to know!

Raisy · Post by **Raisy** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 9:27 am

burningrome wrote:I head over to Royal Oak for a Trader Joes run almost everytime I'm back in Windsor....hadn't heard of either Cloverleaf or any of the others! Good to know!

I have never tried Trader Joes, but in Royal Oak I would recommend Holiday Market.

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:58 pm

Went for a quick trip on Friday afternoon to Ogdensburg/Potsdam to pick up a mail delivery and get some beer. Came back with:

1 bottle DFH Faithfull Ale (the pearl jam tribute beer)
1 bottle of Great Lakes blackout Stout
1 bottle Great Lakes Christmas Ale
1 bottle Stone Pale Ale
1 can Six Point Sweet Action
1 bottle of Troegs Hopback
1 bottle of Troegs Mad Elf Christmas Ale
1 bottle of Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter
1 bottle of Saranac Big Moose Christmas Ale
1 bottle of Sam Adams Irish Red Ale
1 bottle of Breckenridge Christmas Ale

Didn't bring too much stuff back because my wife wanted to bring back a bunch of cider and the item I was picking up already cost $60. Luckily we didn't get hit with tax or duty on anything. So far the only ones I have tried are the Stone Pale ale which was pretty good, and the Sweet Action which was weird since the mix of hops and sweetness in the aftertaste made it taste like hoppy iced tea, but in a good way. I will probably start drinking the Christmas beers in December. I am curious to see how Cleveland Great Lakes does a Christmas Ale in comparions to Toronto Great Lakes.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:44 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:Learned something interesting today. If you have beer shipped to a US address, pick it up and bring it across the border in your car, you are charged HST on the shipping charge. Ridiculous.

Wow. That's as bad as charging you HST on every consumable during your US visit - like food, rentals and entertainment. What's next, will they charge HST on flights out of Amherst, Buffalo when people who aren't made of money try to avoid the overpriced Pearson airport?

Lazy tax economics. Slap it on & slurp it up.

andrewrg · Post by **andrewrg** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:56 pm

That's weird. This summer I went to Chicago to build a computer with my brother, with the intention of bringing it back to Toronto to use, for personal use.

I had assumed they would charge tax based on shipping as part of the overall price, so I included it. The guy at customs (I flew back) looked over my receipts and told me that I didn't need to include the price of shipping, and so I was not charged tax on shipping costs.

Would it be different for bringing it back via car? That doesn't seem to make sense to me.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:50 pm

andrewrg wrote:That's weird. This summer I went to Chicago to build a computer with my brother, with the intention of bringing it back to Toronto to use, for personal use.

I had assumed they would charge tax based on shipping as part of the overall price, so I included it. The guy at customs (I flew back) looked over my receipts and told me that I didn't need to include the price of shipping, and so I was not charged tax on shipping costs.

Would it be different for bringing it back via car? That doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Hmm .... maybe the guy was just an idiot but asked him 3 times if he was sure and he said yes. When he first entered my beer in to the system he entered it wrong and told me that I owed $312 duty on my $275 of beer. I told him that was wrong. He insisted that he was right. This went on for a few minutes until another CBSA person overheard and came by. Apparently he had not properly converted litres to hl. He had charged me duty on 160L of beer, rather than 16L. What a tool. Still cost me close to $100, which included the HST on my shipping costs.

I guess what this long story is trying to say is that perhaps I got screwed and there should not be HST paid on shipping costs...

Streets · Post by **Streets** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 4:42 pm