Sending Beer To Australia?

[Coach_R]

G'day fellow brewers!

It's been a looooooooong time since i've posted on here and feels like even longer since i've brewed anything (due to travel & the total lack of space in my London flat!).

Anyway...., i'm currently working for a brewery in London & therefore have ALOT of beer on my hands that i want to send back home to family/mates. Was just hoping to find if anyone has any insight on sending beer from the UK to Australia?

Any info would be great - Cheers in advance!

 

[mikk]

Quite a few AHB members ordered beer from Belgium recently, & no-one had to pay any import duties/GST/excise etc. I don't imagine beer from the UK would be treated differently, but it may be best not to send more than a case of beer to each recipient at a time or they might start taxing it.

 

[lukiep8]

The only legal things you need to be aware of: It has to be under $1000 (which won't be an issue, as you can put it as a gift with the price of 20 bucks on it, or something), and if they want to charge the recipient duty, they can.

In most cases, for personal consumption, they don't bother charging duty. They only really do it on spirits, as it's 20-30 bucks per bottle. With beer, it's a couple of bucks, so it's not worth their time.

There also seems to be a misconception amongst some people that it is illegal to receive alcohol from overseas. Not true. (unless of course you live in the US/sending alcohol to the US )

 

[bum]

There also seems to be a misconception amongst some people that it is illegal to receive alcohol from overseas. Not true. (unless of course you live in the US/sending alcohol to the US )

I always thought this too but have a mate who does it without problem. It think it is one of those "don't ask, don't tell" things they're fans of over there.

 

[Coach_R]

Thanks guys!

I'll have to swing past the post office after easter, at the moment i'll just have to keep drinking it all myself....

 

[Goldenchild]

Thanks guys!

I'll have to swing past the post office after easter, at the moment i'll just have to keep drinking it all myself....

Hey mate what sort of quotes for shipping costs have you got? I'm currently living in Sweden an have collected some rare to come by beers that I'd like to age. Plus I'm doing a Belgium tour next month and sure I'll acquire a bunch more. I've been doing a little research but the best I can come by for say a 17kg box is close to 100 from the UK.
Also how are you thinking to package them?

 

[Murcluf]

They only real issue you are going to have is the cost of freight which is way over the top. Just ask anyone who has ever tried to get a hand pump sent over here. Also you can get a shipping price to here on the UK posties website another option would be to look at DHL but they aren't cheap either but will pick up and deliver.

 

[Coach_R]

Hey mate what sort of quotes for shipping costs have you got? I'm currently living in Sweden an have collected some rare to come by beers that I'd like to age. Plus I'm doing a Belgium tour next month and sure I'll acquire a bunch more. I've been doing a little research but the best I can come by for say a 17kg box is close to 100 from the UK.
Also how are you thinking to package them?

Haven't gotten any quotes as yet, but 17kg for 100 seems pretty reasonable, especially since the beer is free! And the packaging probably in boxes of 12 with cardboard dividers and lined with bubble wrap..

 

[Goldenchild]

Haven't gotten any quotes as yet, but 17kg for 100 seems pretty reasonable, especially since the beer is free! And the packaging probably in boxes of 12 with cardboard dividers and lined with bubble wrap..
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What brewery are you working for? Must be pretty good beer to consider paying that much postage. I'll be in London in June might have to check it out.

 

[bum]

paying that much postage

I dunno. I ended up paying about US$1k for international postage back to Australia on four boxes of [stuff] that can't have been more than 40cmx40cm and 7kg each a while back. 100 doesn't sound hideous for 17kg.

 

[Goldenchild]

I dunno. I ended up paying about US$1k for international postage back to Australia on four boxes of [stuff] that can't have been more than 40cmx40cm and 7kg each a while back. 100 doesn't sound hideous for 17kg.

That was only one quote from a company ive never heard of and who knows what kind of service it was. Most known freight services where around 140. Guess I'm just being a tightarse and wishing there's a cheaper way.
Really hard when shipping is well over what I payed for the beers in the first place.

The beers I'm thinking of sending are mostly unavailable in Aussie and when are sold at crazy prices due to alco % . I'll just bite the bullet and pay or worst scenario enjoy some and pack the rest on the plane.

 

[lukiep8]

Have you looked at sending it by boat? It is a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

[bum]

Guess I'm just being a tightarse and wishing there's a cheaper way.

Nah, at the end of the day it is a lot of money and paying less for the same thing is always good. I was just trying to point out that the price quoted doesn't seem like you were getting gouged or anything.

For what it is worth (probably not much), I go to the States a fair bit and they make a great many of my favourite beers there. I used to worry about deciding which beers I wanted to take home and how I was going to do it and all that - now I just enjoy them while I'm there and don't bring anything back. It makes both the trip and the beers a bit more enjoyable. I do understand how hard it is to walk away from a beer you can't get here though. YMMV.

 

[Fents]

i recently sent a six pack of mixed aussie beers to a mate in the uk as he was getting a bit homesick. wrapped the **** out of each bottle in bubblewrap then in a box (still in the six pack holder), tape up really good, fragile tape on it and sent it. was bloody expensive though! $55 by sea freight! was going to be $110 by air mail! sea freight time was approx 6-10 weeks but he ended up getting them in 3 weeks.

expensive exercise. beer is heavy.

 

[pk.sax]

~4 years ago, it was ~ 60 euros for dhl from Germany for their maximum weight (I think 20 Kg) by sea mail and double that for air mail. ymmv
It was costlier out of Italy for sure, might be worth hopping into Germany for a few extra samples to pack, ESP if you are on the train

 

[Coach_R]

Dunno whether there are rules on here about "promoting" beers but the company was established in 1845

 

[lukiep8]

Fuller's?

If so, most of it is available here in oz.

 

[Coach_R]

If so, most of it is available here in oz.

Yeah but it's crazy expensive!

 

[BlackRat]

i recently sent a six pack of mixed aussie beers to a mate in the uk as he was getting a bit homesick. wrapped the **** out of each bottle in bubblewrap then in a box (still in the six pack holder), tape up really good, fragile tape on it and sent it. was bloody expensive though! $55 by sea freight! was going to be $110 by air mail! sea freight time was approx 6-10 weeks but he ended up getting them in 3 weeks.

expensive exercise. beer is heavy.

If he is in London, there are a number of offies in Hammersmith / Shep bush that sell Australian beer at very cheap prices!

My favourite was 104 Fulham Palace Road.

BlackRat.