Prior to anyone being able to drink a beer, someone has to move beer. Oh, and transporting beer is not as easy as it may seem. A finished batch is heavy; it goes bad over time, and the rules for moving it from the brewery to the bar have changed little since the end of Prohibition in 1933. Its distribution, in particular, is essential for breweries, as the timing, storage, transportation, and compliance are all involved in getting beer to the tap in good condition. This is a large reason why certain beers are found in every corner of the world, and others don’t even get out of the next town.

The Three-Tier System

Nearly every beer sold in the U.S. is sold via the three-tier system. Distributors sell to shops and bars, shops and bars sell to people who drink it, and then Brewers sell to the distributors. The system was mandated by state law during the time of Prohibition and is still used in almost every delivery. The key to the success or failure of a small brewery is its distributor. The amount of beer also has an impact on the distance travelled. The more places you sell it at, the more you can brew, and it’s not long before you find yourself outgrowing the brewhouse, increasing the number of tanks you can get and put into, and the number of pallets waiting to go out.

Weight, Size, and What It Costs to Ship

The first thing on the road is the weight. A full keg will run from around 160 pounds, and an individual pallet of canned beer will weigh more than 1500 pounds with the cans, boxes, and packaging. When it’s shipped by truck, the price is mostly determined by the weight of the beer in the truck, and it’s heavy for its size. All shipments are given a freight class by the trucking company, and this classification depends primarily on the volume-to-weight ratio of the shipment of beer and how tightly the product is packed. Cargo that is heavy for its size falls into a cheaper class, which is usually the beer case. Before asking a carrier for a price, a brewery can determine where a loaded pallet will land, which makes it much easier to plan a budget, even if the beer is going out through a distributor or on the brewery’s own truck.

Why Fresh Beer Changes the Math

Shipping cost is only half the story. Time and temperature are the other half. Beer keeps changing after it is packaged, and its flavor slowly fades with heat. Shaking during a long drive ruins the freshness of the beer, and the effects of shaking are even worse. A well-chilled beer (at approximately 8°C) will keep approximately twice as long as a beer at room temperature. This is why longer trips are usually done in a refrigerated truck as opposed to a regular truck, and it is more expensive. Not all types of beer are alike. Hazy IPAs, for example, are based on intense hoppy notes with a mild bitterness that fades quickly after a can is opened. For a beer that’s this cold, it’s a very big deal to choose between shipping it cold or shipping it cheap. It is what comes in and what goes out of the brewery.

Why Beer Rarely Ships Straight to the Door

That’s all the reason why sending beer directly to customers is often not cost-effective. This is because the shipping cost of a 40-dollar bottle of wine is included in that 40-dollar price tag, and a $ 12 six-pack does not include the shipping cost. The rules make it more difficult, though. While wine can be shipped in 48 states, beer has almost 10/11 states where you can ship it directly to the drinker, plus Washington, D.C. When wine shipments are allowed, they usually go through an approved carrier (UPS or FedEx) as the Postal Service will not accept alcohol for mailing. These rules illustrate the level of control that can be placed on beverage distribution and make the process of alcohol delivery even more complex for breweries, wineries, and consumers. 

There is a Story on the Price

This is not reflected on the label. The person viewing this image sees a can on a shelf and a price tag beside the can. There is a whole series of weight, packing, temperature, and state laws behind that price, and each part is responsible for whether or not the beer was worth moving. Determining a pallet’s freight class, comparing quotes, maintaining a delicate beer at a proper temperature, and figuring out which states permit a direct sale are really the same job. 

Your beer will be in good condition and at a fair price when you get it right, if you do. If you’re wrong, though, the shipping bill or the lost flavor eats up the money that your beer was supposed to produce. When it comes to the best breweries growing in size, thoughtful consideration of transportation, temperature control, packaging, and delivery schedules could be the key to a successful shipment or a costly lesson.