Alcohol to the US

[Scozzie]

How about this one, a maiden post that has nothing to do with travel but has been troubling me for a year or more, hopefully someone out there can help.
To keep it brief in 2008 my daughter who was 15 at the time went on an EF High School Overseas exchange to Delano, Minnesota for 6 months. By telephone and internet we built up a relationship with her host family there who were absolutely first class considering they had never experienced a teenager before!! To cut to the chase, Isabel's host father enjoyed the occasional drop of rum and said he would really like to try Inner Circle Grey Label from Australia which I had said I could supply. I did not realise the problems involved in sending alcohol to the US, I asked Inner Circle via their web site to advise any US distributor but did not receive an answer so does anyone out there have any idea how to send one bottle of rum to Minnesota as it pains me to not be able to keep my to my word.
Thanks in advance...

 

[trooper]

I can help a bit later in the year... by hand-carrying a bottle for you...:mrgreen:

(You can feel safe.. I HATE rum so I ain't going to be tempted!)

I'm going to Morristown MN for a Cowboy Action Shooting comp... we'll be flying in/out of MSP.. so I'm sure SOMETHING might be arranged...

That's September...... not real soon.... but the offer is there if we can work something out at both ends...

P.S. Welcome to AFF!

P.P.S I sent an e-mail enquiry to "Schaefers".. a large Chicago based online booze seller.. asking if they stock it...(Hell, they stock an Aussie VODKA!) we'll see! That'd be rather simpler!

 

[Scozzie]

Many thanks for the response, sounds like there may be the makings of a plan here

September would not be a problem as I have been trying to work through this for almost 2 years now. I have had many offers from friends and colleagues to carry a bottle to the US but it seems that you just cant send alcohol over state lines and that has been the biggest stumbling block, even DHL or Fedex wont touch it.

Fully understand your feelings about rum, I had a nasty experience with it when I was 17 and have never been back!

I checked out the Schaefer's Liquor website but they can only ship distilled spirits within the state of Illinois. What if I put the bottle in one of those Aussie Post bottle boxes would it be possible to send by mail from MSP airport or Morristown?

 

[trooper]

No idea... something to investigate on the USPS website... we have a BIT of time in hand after all!

I believe Delano is just under 40 miles from MSP..... a bit less from the "city"... If your friend works downtown we may be able to meet up????? I can't promise too much of a detour from our planned travel as I am not travelling alone....

EDIT: BUGGER!!!! Alcohol cannot be sent through the post.....

 

[samh004]

They seem to be living up to their name, LOTFAP

Strange rules though. Do they ban all liquids or just alcohol? Does this mean a business such as cellar masters wouldn’t work there?

 

[ejb_nz]

So in a country that allows people to own automatic weapons they ban sending alcohol through the post.:shock:

The US never fails to confuse me.

Perhaps once in the US you could use a courier to take it the rest of the way.

ejb

 

[JetLagged]

So in a country that allows people to own automatic weapons they ban sending alcohol through the post.:shock: The US never fails to confuse me. ejb

Ahh, God save America - for precious few others would!

The UK to me has always been the land of dysfunction - the US is the land that time and reason forgot!

 

[trooper]

Wow... strange responses here.

Given the ubiquity of FEDEX & UPS etc over there I don't find it THAT strange that there are restrictions on shipping fragile (and possibly flammable) liquids in the post.

We just haven't got to investigating those companies yet....

How about Australia Post? I can't ship cartridge ammunition using our postal service... yet I can carry it in my baggage on an aircraft... I think that is passingly odd... Australia Post equates it with Fireworks and Model Rocketry motors and suchlike which is quite insane.

"A country that allows people to own automatic weapons"...??

Are you actually aware of the restrictions/requirements involved in purchasing one??

Yes.. you CAN own them..........In SOME States....

..after an enormous amount of hoop-jumping and form filling.... finger-printing even... not to mention savage transfer-of-ownership fees for each and every Class III firearm (That's what the fully automatic ones are called) .. and not to mention the COST of the damn things in the first place... A MAC-10 (largely pressed metal useless piece of junk SMG*) - look at USD$3,000... Something historically interesting like a Thompson SMG? Start at USD $20,000 in the currently depressed market and you might do OK...

A REAL AK-47? Around USD $15,000 at present... How about a real Machine gun.. an M-60 (Think Platoon, Apocalypse Now etc) or the German WWII MG42 that sort of fathered it... both "bargains" at around USD$32,000.

It is a limited market believe me... hope you haven't fallen for the B.S. stories about availability of such things... they are about as reliable as the "I dress nicely and always get upgraded" stories...:shock::mrgreen:

 

[ejb_nz]

Wow... strange responses here.

Given the ubiquity of FEDEX & UPS etc over there I don't find it THAT strange that there are restrictions on shipping fragile (and possibly flammable) liquids..

We just haven't got to investigating those companies yet....

How about Australia Post? I can't ship cartridge ammunition using our postal service... yet I can carry it in my baggage on an aircraft... I think that is passingly odd...

"A country that allows people to own automatic weapons"...??

Are you actually aware of the restrictions/requirements involved in purchasing one??

Yes.. you CAN own them..........In SOME States....

..after an enormous amount of hoop-jumping and form filling.... finger-printing even... not to mention savage transfer-of-ownership fees for each and every Class III firearm (That's what the fully automatic ones are called) .. and not to mention the COST of the damn things in the first place... A MAC-10 (largely pressed metal useless piece of junk SMG) - look at USD$3,000... Something really neat like a Thompson SMG? Start at USD $20,000 in the currently depressed market and you might do OK...

A REAL AK-47? Around USD $15,000 at present... How about a real Machine gun.. an M-60 (Think Platoon, Apocalypse Now etc) or the German WWII MG42 that sort of fathered it... both "bargains" at around USD$32000.

It is a limited market believe me... hope you haven't fallen for the B.S. stories about availability of such things... they are about as reliable as the "I dress nicely and always get upgraded" stories...:shock::mrgreen:

I was not making any comment as to the availability of automatic weapons I was merely stating a fact.....in the US you are not allowed to ship alcohol across state borders but you can buy automatic weapons.....a totally messed up system.

Why anybody needs an AK47 is beyond me so the cost does not really matter.

You are clearly into guns so you and I would hold very different opinions on this matter. I just fail to see why anybody needs one.

ejb

 

[cove]

Running plonk across borders is a very serious offence.
We used a UPS type of carrier who called it wire and it arrived safely but I would not recommend it.They made it look like a typo thru their office.

 

[Dave Noble]

You are clearly into guns so you and I would hold very different opinions on this matter. I just fail to see why anybody needs one.

Equally, no one needs alcoholic drinks

 

[trooper]

Or fast cars, or golf club memberships... or really any of the things we use our discretionary income to purchase (if objects) or participate in (if activities)....

I didn't "need" to jump out of planes over 1,000 times, or learn to Scuba Dive.. but I had a hell of a lot of fun doing both... and yes, I enjoy my competitive target shooting enormously (which BTW is really hard to do without guns! Ids that a "need"?) .. at EVERY level I participate in it.. from local Club events to the World Championships.

The world would be a VERY grey place indeed if we were only allowed what we "needed"!!!

P.S. I totally get why some folks don't like guns... but I'm saddened at how that often translates apparently into "I don't want/like them so YOU shouldn't have them either"......

 

[ejb_nz]

Equally, no one needs alcoholic drinks

Or fast cars... or really any of the things we use our discretionary income to purchase (if objects) or participate in (if activities)....

I didn't "need" to jump out of planes over 1,000 times, or learn to Scuba Dive.. but I had a hell of a lot of fun doing both... and yes, I enjoy my competitive target shooting (which BTW is really hard to do without guns! ) .. at EVERY level I participate in it.. from local Club events to the World Championships.

The world would be a VERY grey place indeed if we were only allowed what we "needed"!!!

I may open myself up for more trouble here...but...

Comparing guns to alcohol is a bit of a leap, alcohol is not expressly designed to kill people.

Guns kill people, that is why they are designed and their main purpose. I know some people use them for targets but overall guns are built to kill (people and animals).

My original post was merely saying that in a country were owing guns is protected by law and gun culture is massive it does seem strange that they are very restrictive in the movement of alcohol.

ejb

 

[Dave Noble]

I may open myself up for more trouble here...but...

Comparing guns to alcohol is a bit of a leap, alcohol is not expressly designed to kill people.

Guns kill people, that is why they are designed and their main purpose. I know some people use them for targets but overall guns are built to kill (people and animals).

And what actual beneficial purpose does Alcohol provide? Alcohol is linked to a lot of crimes/accidents/injuries

An unloaded gun is not something dangerous to transport by mail

 

[ejb_nz]

And what actual beneficial purpose does Alcohol provide? Alcohol is linked to a lot of crimes/accidents/injuries

An unloaded gun is not something dangerous to transport by mail

A correctly packaged bottle of alcohol is not dangerous to transport by mail.

Also a gun used for its original purpose will kill, alcohol used correctly will not kill.

But again my original point was about the funny rules in the US.

ejb

 

[trooper]

And archery equipment and javelins (to name two other types of sporting equipment) were also originally "designed to kill"... Bowhunting is still a reasonably common activity... and "field" archery competitions are shot using 3-D hard foam animal models.. realistically painted...

...so.... in the interests of consistency I would hope an objection to guns on the basis of being "designed to kill" would therefore logically be extended to those items.....

Won't hold my breath...:mrgreen:

For completeness I should point out that while my primary competition shotgun (an SKB 100) was designed for general shotgun use.. presumably including hunting.. both my primary competition revolvers and my primary competition rifle were expressly built FOR the sport I am using them in...

A great many guns share that attribute.... they are optimised solely for competitive use.... the pistols used in the 10m Air Pistol event are particularly good (and Buck Rogerish!) examples of that.... google Pardini K22 to see what I mean!! Or in centrefires try STI GM.....

Sit down before reading the prices of those!

Back ON topic for a minute.. I will see what the FEDEX and UPS websites say about moving booze around....

 

[medhead]

Or fast cars... or really any of the things we use our discretionary income to purchase (if objects) or participate in (if activities)....

I didn't

I may open myself up for more trouble here...but...

Comparing guns to alcohol is a bit of a leap, alcohol is not expressly designed to kill people.

Guns kill people, that is why they are designed and their main purpose.

ejb

No alcohol is not expressly design to kill people. That is just an unfortunately side effect.

Oh and people kill people not guns. Cliche but the facts are facts. Guns were designed by people for people to use. Guns don't jump up and kill people by themselves unlike alcohol. (old chestnut? Sure, so shot me )

I also wonder what you'd make of my hobby - archery. Should I not have a bow and arrow? They were designed to kill

 

[ejb_nz]

So in a country that allows people to own automatic weapons they ban sending alcohol through the post.:shock:

The US never fails to confuse me.

Perhaps once in the US you could use a courier to take it the rest of the way.

ejb

I know it is bad form to quote yourself but...

I was comparing the two rules......1. you can not mail alcohol...2.you can own automatic weapons.

I was commenting that it seems weird. Not entering a verbal spar on the merits of gun use/ownership.

ejb

 

[samh004]

Equally, no one needs alcoholic drinks

But I’d like some please

And archery equipment and javelins (to name two other types of sporting equipment) were also originally "designed to kill"... Bowhunting is still a reasonably common activity... and "field" archery competitions are shot using 3-D hard foam animal models.. realistically painted...

...so.... in the interests of consistency I would hope an objection to guns on the basis of being "designed to kill" would therefore logically be extended to those items.....

Would you be happy to ban guns that aren’t for the express purpose of a particular sport then?

AK-47s and what not shouldn’t be things anyone needs for sport or otherwise. I’d be happy for someone to own one, just not be able to buy ammo for it, as realistically, what sport would you engage in with one? And don’t say killing people, that’s not a sport. Drug warfare isn’t either.

Bottom line, the argument was that a bottle of alcohol packaged properly in a box with foam and what not isn’t allowed.

While at the same time, an unloaded gun, packaged correctly in a box with foam and what not is allowed to be sent in the mail.

To simply say that the alcoholic beverage is fragile is a useless argument, as so are many things these days sent in the mail. If the USPS can’t learn to be gentle, what’s the point in sending anything by mail? Do you really expect that they’d throw the box with the gun in it around the office before giving it to you? If you expect that, why is that acceptable?

 

[cove]

I think it is a State Taxes argument in the USA.Each State in America wants to clip the taxes ticket so if you mail a perfectly packed bottle that has alcohol in it you are almost guilty of treason and seen as a modern day Al Capone if that bottle goes across a State boundary.