Shipping

[NOTE: Please pay close attention to this information since it is slightly different than the shipping information for the U.S. Open Beer Championship.]

  • All beers must be sent in cans, bottles, or growlers. Each entry must have three bottles/cans/growlers/crowlers of 10 oz or greater.

  • All beer must arrive between May 2nd-15th to be judged.

  • After beers have been submitted, the shipping address and more information will be sent to the primary contact for the school.

The following information is to be placed on all beer cans and bottles. (Please use clear packing tape to attach to bottle/can.)

School Name: __
Beer Name: __
Category Name: __
Category Number: __
Subcategory: __
Additional Info: __

Attach label information on the back of the bottle or can. Then, if your beer wins a medal, we can use the bottle or can in a photo. Use clear packing tape to attach labels to cans and bottles. DO NOT USE RUBBER BANDS!

Competition labels on a beer bottle and can

Use FedEx or UPS only to ship beer.

Do not ship through the United States Postal Service (USPS). It is illegal to ship beer through the USPS. Always use FedEx or UPS.

Tips for shipping beer

Use a sturdy double-walled box, or put one box inside another.
Use plenty of filler material. Bubble wrap works best.
Make sure no glass is touching.
Make sure nothing moves when you shake the box.
Use styrofoam wine shippers for the best and easiest way to ship.
Write fragile on the box (though we're not convinced this makes any difference).
Write “liquid yeast samples” on the box (technically true).
Line the box with bubble wrap or foam.
Ship beer via UPS or FedEx using an online account and print your shipping label at home.

Helpful Hint

Prevent Breakage, Then Prevent Leakage – The key to successfully shipping beer is to get it to its final destination unbroken. That means packing it well and stuffing the box with lots of padding so that the beers won’t shift around in the box. This is your first line of defense. But sometimes things go wrong, despite your best efforts, and a bottle might break. When that happens, you want to keep the spill contained and stop it from leaking through the box. When a box starts to leak, it gets pulled out of the shipping process. Often the box gets thrown away by the shipping company, despite the fact that the rest of the bottles in the box might be fine.

Helpful Links

Wine/Beer Boxes On Amazon: Polar Tech 749T Top Load 12 Wine/Champagne Bottle Foam Shipper

Or search Wine Shipper on Amazon.com

Spirited Shipper boxes come in a variety of configurations.

Uhaul Wine/Beer Shipping boxes - The kits come complete with a protective styrofoam base and lid and include the shipping box. The protective styrofoam base will fit wine or champagne bottles up to 4″ in diameter (standard and universal bottles). Kits are available to ship 1, 2, 3, or 6 wine bottles at one time.

Uline Packaging (Beer & Wine) Boxes
Uline Wine Shippers and Supplies

Uline Pulp Beer Shipper - 12 Bottle Pack