Ship and Sip? Bill Would Let USPS Mail Alcohol
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CLEVELAND — Wine- and brewing-industry folks are supporting legislation that would allow alcohol to be shipped via the U.S. Postal Service.
If it eventually passes, the USPS Shipping Equity Act would allow mailed shipments of alcohol.
The Postal Service is late to the game, considering private companies like UPS and FedEx have been doing this for years. By sticking to its own restrictions, the USPS has left a potential revenue stream on the table.
The act would require authorization of alcohol shipments after a registration process, and state law regarding alcohol shipments would be followed. States vary in their allowance of shipping and receiving of alcohol. Ohio is one that allows shipments to be received.
Everyone is holding back on the toasts for now, since the act must wind its way through legislative channels. But those in the wine and beer business are applauding it.
A post from the Brewers Association gave a thumb’s up to the legislation. In a statement, Bob Pease, the organization’s president and chief executive officer, called the act “commonsense legislation.”
Help small and independent breweries level the playing field by asking your federal legislators to co-sponsor the @USPS Shipping Equity Act. https://t.co/pRMZCJpNH8 pic.twitter.com/CkINluyDpQ — Brewers Association (@BrewersAssoc) June 12, 2023
“Small and independent breweries produce hundreds of styles of beer, but due to distributor consolidation, there are fewer opportunities to get their products to consumers,” he said. “Direct-to-consumer shipping is a critical way for these businesses to make their low-volume products accessible to the people who want to buy them.”
The BA cited estimates suggesting USPS could gain $180 million annually through alcohol shipping.
The National Association of Wine Retailers announce their strong support for the USPS Shipping Equity Act that will allow the Post Office to deliver alcohol. Read the statement here: https://t.co/sIm9JZze4I — NAWR (@RetailWine) June 7, 2023
The National Association of Wine Retailers also supports the legislation, saying in a statement it allows USPS “to compete with other logistic companies and by providing shippers and consumers with additional shipping options.”
The wine organization added: “Wine retailers across the country have long been responding to rising consumer demand for access to specialty wine and spirits often not available in their market by successfully shipping rare, hard-to-find, small production, and collectible products in a legal and compliant manner.”
The National Association of Letter Carriers also supports the legislation.
Sponsorship of the legislation is from Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) and Jennifer Wexton (D-Virginia), with eight co-sponsors. Four of the eight are from Oregon or California – two of the nation’s largest grape-growing states. Initially, when proposed in 2021, more than three dozen co-sponsors were attached. None were from Ohio.
This #NationalWineDay, I introduced the USPS Shipping Equity Act to end the Prohibition-era ban on shipping alcoholic beverages through the USPS.
Cheers to a more inclusive and prosperous wine industry on this National Wine Day and beyond!
Read more:https://t.co/itxAUPiDFi — Rep. Dan Newhouse (@RepNewhouse) May 25, 2023
Those opposed to shipping of alcohol say minors could conceivably receive a package with alcohol in it. But private companies require signatures from recipients, who must be 21.
Other legal ways exist to have alcohol delivered. E-commerce sites like Drizly allow orders for local delivery, for instance.
The shipping option would be an economic boost for the Postal Service and especially small breweries and boutique wineries that do not have wide distribution footprints.
Currently, the legislation addresses registered entities, not individuals. But there’s another group that potentially stands to benefit if the registration process were to include individuals: The underground beer-trade hobbyists.
Those craft-beer enthusiasts send beers from their region to like-minded aficionados in other parts of the country. Each, in turn, receives beers that are not available to them.
The letter carriers group says if passed, the USPS would have two years to make sure regulations are in place “to safely deliver alcoholic beverages to adult consumers with appropriate identification checks.”
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