One of the hottest trends in the beverage alcohol industry is direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping. But state laws largely restrict DtC shipping only to winemakers, leaving most brewers out in the cold and unable to meet the increasing interest among consumers for DtC shipping options. But why not beer?

In this panel presentation, Sam DeWitt, Brewers Association (BA) state government affairs manager, Steve Gross, Wine Institute vice president of state relations, and Alex Koral, Sovos ShipCompliant regulatory general counsel, break down the current consumer interest for DtC shipping of beer, discuss the historic and ongoing work that the wine industry has taken to build a nearly national availability for DtC shipping, and how brewers can work together to realize the opportunities that legal DtC beer shipping can bring.

Related Resources

• 2024 BA/Sovos DtC Beer Shipping Report: This report offers an in-depth analysis of a consumer poll and an economist’s review of the direct-to-consumer (DtC) beer shipping market.
• Legal Q&A on Shipping Beer Direct-to-Consumer and A Legal Primer on Direct-to-Consumer Beer Sales: In these Legal Insights posts, BA General Counsel Marc Sorini provides answers to frequently asked questions about DtC shipping and looks at how the law shapes the various models and approaches to DtC sales.
• Interstate Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Laws: This map shows the states where DtC is permitted, limited, and not permitted.
• State Laws Database: The BA has compiled a database of U.S. laws impacting craft brewers. Filter by law to find out more about the states that currently allow DtC.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the scope of consumer demand for craft beer shipped DtC, as demonstrated in the 2023 Direct-to-Consumer Shipping Report Learn how DtC shipping laws are structured and enforced by states Know the questions to ask a third party DtC service to help vet its compliance and legality Learn how the wine industry was successful in propagating DtC shipping laws across the country Discover how brewers can work together and with consumers to gain equal opportunities to wineries