Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.
We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
cfrancis wrote:I don't even bother with sending booze over the border now. I've had so many flagged because they xray pretty much every package now. If I'm trading in the states, I'll drive down to Ogdensburg and send it out from there.
Seriously? I have been sending beer through the border for the past year without any issues. Probably send 7 or 8 boxes through the border in 2013. What do they do after catching them in the scan? Send back to you or confiscate the beer?
Usually send back to me.
I'll get a phone call asking me what the contents are. I'll say Collectible glass or something. I remember doing yeast samples once and then the FDA got involved and they wanted to know where they are produced and the lineage on the yeast. So I did collectible glass, then then asked are they filled? With what? then Sir you know that you cannot ship beer via Fedex/UPS/ whatever I was using. Then they ship it back to me.
I stopped a few years ago. I probably had 4/5 flagged in a 6 month run.
Who do you ship with? I should try again. I have a BIF going on with friends from the states and don't know if I can get my ass to the US before xmas to get my box out.
I'll get a phone call asking me what the contents are. I'll say Collectible glass or something. I remember doing yeast samples once and then the FDA got involved and they wanted to know where they are produced and the lineage on the yeast. So I did collectible glass, then then asked are they filled? With what? then Sir you know that you cannot ship beer via Fedex/UPS/ whatever I was using. Then they ship it back to me.
I stopped a few years ago. I probably had 4/5 flagged in a 6 month run.
Who do you ship with? I should try again. I have a BIF going on with friends from the states and don't know if I can get my ass to the US before xmas to get my box out.
This is great info. I really appreciate you posting. I just sent 4 very rare bottles down to OK and was I was so nervous until it cleared customs. I should have driven the box down to Niagara Falls.
I always use Fedex. Only close call I had was last year when the opened up a box, inspected it, re-taped it (with US Customs tape) and sent it along to the recipient. I couldn't believe it!
I had a weird request on time from a guy looking for a case of Tuborg Cans.
So I sent it in two packages because of weight. One got through and one gets flagged. Then while they were trying to sort out customs, etc. They had left the box in the warehouse where it was -20C So the 12 cans of beer proceeded to freeze and explode.
They still sent it back to me but is was a soggy mess.
cfrancis wrote:I had a weird request on time from a guy looking for a case of Tuborg Cans.
So I sent it in two packages because of weight. One got through and one gets flagged. Then while they were trying to sort out customs, etc. They had left the box in the warehouse where it was -20C So the 12 cans of beer proceeded to freeze and explode.
They still sent it back to me but is was a soggy mess.
Idiots! I think I will start driving my trades across the border. I am just always concerned with what to tell the border guard when they ask why I am declaring 6 bottles of beer. What do you say?
They usually don't ask me much when I'm going in. Once the guard looked in my car and saw the box and asked what was in it. I told him beer, he asked what for and why was it in a box. I told him my buddy in Texas just had a kid and I was sending him a sympathy box to help with the late night feedings.
He laughed and waved me on.
He did ask my buddy's name so have one ready. It's not like they check the name, they just want to see your reaction and see if you are making it up. Kind of an eyes up and to the left or to the right thing.
I've also said that they will be drank tonight at the hotel by me because I don't care for American beer, so I bring Canadian beer with me or some BS.
As long as you are not bringing a boatload down with you, they never care. Just come up with your own BS excuse for bringing 6 bottles of beer.
cfrancis wrote:
I've also said that they will be drank tonight at the hotel by me because I don't care for American beer, so I bring Canadian beer with me or some BS.
.
This is the most reasonable excuse but only works if you are actually staying the night. Most of my trips are just day trips (or more like 2 hours or less trips).
The other thing to consider is that shipping is 50% cheaper if the box starts off in the US, so there's another advantage.
WARNING: Do NOT tell US border servcies your bringing beer in destined for a US Citizen. They will want FDA clearance. You get this by filing a Web Entry Form using the FDA website. Its a lengthy process but if you MUST bring in alcohol, its the only legal way to do it.
DO NOT bring in pre-packaged bubble-wrapped beer with a US address on it. Youre pretty much asking for a confiscation.
The only way I found to garantee it done is bring in the bottles, say its for your own consumption, but DO DECLARE THEM, and pack & mail from the US. This forces you to pack in your car and buy packing supplies over there though...
See everyone has different experiences. I've been doing it for probably three years and never had an issue.
Every time it's pre packed. I've even had them open the box, inspect it and re tape it with their customs green tape.
Never had a problem.
I've even put the beer in my bag when I go to Vegas. I have my buddy send his box to the hotel that I'm staying at, I take my bottles out, use his packing material to repack the bottles that I brought down and send it back to him. My bottles go into my suitcase for my return flight. Done it probably 10 times no issue. And they xray my bag at the airport and everytime they make some comment about the beer. Some I laugh off, others I tell them it's for a buddy of mine in the states. Never an issue.
Maybe I'm just a likeable guy and Ian you are not...
Andrenaline wrote:
I too would appreciate any ideas... I have a 12-bottle Uhaul styro shipper whose box is basically held together exclusively by tape. I've searched high and low for a box the same size, and even tried making one out of a large piece of cardboard, but the structural integrity is just not there.
I am not sure where you are located but if you are anywhere near Mississauga I have 5 or 6 12 bottle shippers in my basement that are collecting dust. I would be happy to give you one.
Thanks so much for the offer! . Unfortunately I'm stuck way up north in Thunder Bay, so can't take you up on it! My trading partner in Alberta bought a new one, but I would still like to revive this one to have two on the go. Maybe one day I'll stumble across that unique box size that will fit perfectly!!
After losing some beers due to the box being soggy; it's winter here and sometimes the luggage carrier trailers do not have roofs. I recommend after the bubble wrap, newspaper, copious amounts of duct tape to put the box in a industrial strength garbage bag and re-duct tape.
Just lost 2x 2004 Mamouche, 2x 2005 St Lamvinus, 2x Hill Farmstead collabs. last weekend on my flight back from Copenhagen. I'm going to try and get compensated from my visa insurance but as you know those bottles will never happen for me again.
cveerman wrote:After losing some beers due to the box being soggy; it's winter here and sometimes the luggage carrier trailers do not have roofs. I recommend after the bubble wrap, newspaper, copious amounts of duct tape to put the box in a industrial strength garbage bag and re-duct tape.
Just lost 2x 2004 Mamouche, 2x 2005 St Lamvinus, 2x Hill Farmstead collabs. last weekend on my flight back from Copenhagen. I'm going to try and get compensated from my visa insurance but as you know those bottles will never happen for me again.
. Unfortunately I'm stuck way up north in Thunder Bay, so can't take you up on it! My trading partner in Alberta bought a new one, but I would still like to revive this one to have two on the go. Maybe one day I'll stumble across that unique box size that will fit perfectly!!