Following on from part 1 of this two-part series, this week we have a look at some of the options we can use to ship whiskey from outside Ireland to our very own drinking shelves. Once again I feel it extremely important to remind you that shipping alcohol is itself, illegal ( if you are not properly licensed ), The following information that was gathered is based on personal use, word of mouth through other drinkers/collectors, and research gathered for this blog post.
The struggle is real…..
Virtual Insanity
Unless you’ve been living on the moon the past year or two then you should be familiar with what virtual addresses are, most major shipping and logistics companies right down to our very own An Post have virtual addresses to ship parcels to that won’t allow or don’t facilitate shipping to Ireland. A quick google search will literally turn up pages upon pages of these companies that provide this service, however, here are some tried and tested websites that work. *Be careful, customs and excise could be an issue here for some unlucky individuals.
A sister company to An post, with Virtual Addresses in both the UK and the United States. Shipping rates generally are between €6-€15 ( This depends entirely on the weight of the package ). Alcohol is a prohibited Item to ship according to their website, however, multiple parcels from the USA and UK have been sent to Ireland VIA this service with no Issues to date. If you are shipping from the USA be prepared to verify the contents of the package ( via email ) by submitting the invoice or proof of purchase of goods, If coming from the USA then lube up, you’ll more than likely be caught for customs, excise & VAT!
A UPS company, the parcel terminals are littered across the country and it is a fantastic service. However, Alcohol is a prohibited item to ship. The way this works is the sender registers a parcel to send online via his/her account, they are then given a printable label for the package and must scan this at a parcel terminal and slide it into one of the sender boxes. The package is then sent to the main terminal, where some packages may be subject to random control checks. Alcohol will be confiscated and notification sent to the shipper via email. You can fight this and it has worked in the past and the packages released. There have been incidents of packages recovered by senders/recipients. The prices are shown below.
This company is located on the West coast of the USA and works in much the same way as AddressPal, they specialize in the shipping of alcohol internationally but you will have to supply the correct information for customs as the packaging they use for shipping alcohol will have to be changed. They will not ship alcohol in any other packaging only their own, period. Shipping rates will Vary however, you will have a choice as to which company you would like to use to ship the package back to Ireland, there are premium services offered with insurance, fast-tracking, etc. They have three separate warehouses, one in the UK, one in California & Oregon USA. As you have to provide information for customs you can pretty much guarantee getting caught for excise, Vat, and depending on the price of the package – Import duties (25% of contents value).
More options
A quick google search for mail forwarding options or virtual address boxes will turn up pages of info, some of the top ones are as follows. Keep in mind that not all are created equal, some companies you will need to register an account with a minimum spend and have to top up your account regularly. I have not personally used any of these but they are none the less options.
So you’re not comfortable using a virtual address, maybe paranoia has the best of you or you’re trying your best to not get caught with customs. Asking a family person to help out is always an option. But with this option you are placing the burden onto someone else’s shoulders, take into account their free time, other commitments, forgetfulness ( believe it or not some people just don’t care about whiskey or collecting, shock – horror), laziness, whatever it doesn’t matter. The fact of the matter here is that you are relying on someone else. It’s a big ask and a pain in the ass to try and post something for someone, let alone try to figure out how to legally ship alcohol from one side of the world to the other. If you are going to go down this road be patient, be polite, don’t be pushy and for gods sakes man have all the work done for them so that their workload is minimal.
I have had to go down this road myself before, so I’ve learned a lot, firstly my sister has the patience of a saint, god bless her, secondly, if the whiskey arrives in packaging already then just rip the shipping label off of the package it arrived in and use parcel monkey ( see below ), it’s straight forward enough. If you need to get packaging then use Amazon to order boxes and sleeves and get them shipped directly to your family members’ front door. Then depending on which service you select from parcel monkey either provide your family member with a drop off location for the package or let them know when the package will be collected.
I’ve used this when I have gotten bottles shipped to a family member that lives in the states. In short this is a service where you input your parcel dimensions, weight, and contents and the website generates quotes from a number of different shipping companies. Some will include insurance, some will be fast-tracked, there are various shipping options when using this method. Alcohol is a prohibited item though, but collectible decanters are not! Write that down. You do run the risk of getting caught for customs with this and all services. Just bear that in mind when deciding which route to go. Price here varies greatly from $35-$150. You get big-name shipping companies like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc, etc. The only thing your family member or friend in the states will have to do is print the label and attach it to the box, and drop it at a drop-off spot ( SEE ABOVE, depending on which service you choose some carries will collect from a home or business!).
ITS A SOCIAL THING
If all else fails and you’re not comfortable using the above, you can always reach out on the Facebook groups to anyone travelling from the USA to Ireland. There are some pretty awesome people out there on the groups that share the same passion as you and would want to help out. I have heard of many instances where this has been employed and has worked perfectly. Of course, you should be extremely careful and find out fully who you are working with, who is travelling, flight times etc. Have all the information you need. This is the least likely way of getting caught for customs and Vat, however, don’t be a dick and ask someone to carry back any more than one MAX two bottles for you, they are doing you a favour!
TO SUM UP
There are plenty of options available to try and get bottles of alcohol to this part of the world. I have heard countless stories of people saying they are shipping collectibledecanters, lava lamps, bar equipment, soda streams, etc, the list does go on and a quick Facebook group search will give you an insight into what people said they were shipping, but you should note this is illegal. Now bear in mind even though it is illegal I have yet to hear of anyone doing jail time or paying fines. I have heard of only one occasion where bottles were confiscated and destroyed ( using FedEx ) but I believe this was down to Emails not being returned on time. If a parcel is found to be carrying illegal contents then the parcel may be returned to the sender, destroyed or you may be notified of incurred charges for customs & Vat, etc.
Do bookmark this page as I will be updating this regularly, of course get involved and comment, and let’s build a comprehensive list of solutions to this ongoing struggle the best we can to help like-minded individuals in the future. Until the next time, Sláinte.
We’ve all been there, you’ve finally found that bottle that has eluded you for so long. Your palms are sweaty, eyes tired from staring at a computer screen for hours, face plastered with a stupid smug smile, complete and total joy is overcoming you at an alarming rate, SUCCESS you think, until you go to the checkout and realize the company is in the USA and does not ship to Ireland.
Shipping Alcohol in good ole USA is not as easy and as straightforward as you think. Make it over that hurdle and get the bottle to our shores, you have to deal with customs, excise, and VAT. In this first part of a two-part series I break down some of the issues behind laws in the states and demystify our customs and import Charges.
GOOD OLE UNCLE SAM
Firstly, here is what you need to know and understand about the shipping laws in the united states when it comes to alcohol.
IT IS DIFFICULT, CONFUSING, VARIED & COMPLEX.
Many of the state’s alcohol laws were written after the 21st amendment repealed prohibition in the 1930s, and that included their shipping laws. The amendment left shipping regulations up to individual states, who all came up with their own laws. To sum up – you are basically dealing with 50 different countries with different laws on shipping.
In Brief, the states has a 3 tier system, which means distilleries can’t sell to individuals they have to go through wholesalers, wholesalers cant sell to individuals they have to go through retailers. Depending on the states shipping laws the retailers may then, if properly licensed and within state regulations, ship to you a lovely new bottle of your favourite.
It is generally not allowed for a non- licensed individual to send to another individual, or anyone else within the U.S., alcohol. Keep this in mind when buying alcohol from the U.S. with the intention of shipping it to Ireland. Below is a chart graphing the different states and whether or not permits are required by businesses for shipping or if alcohol shipment is prohibited completely. If you’d like to know more then click HERE for a fully comprehensive breakdown of alcohol shipping laws per state. Brace yourselves, it’s a big read….
DISCLAIMER: American laws around shipping changes constantly, therefore the information supplied may change without notice.
KNOW THE FACTS – EXCISE & TAX
Understand this, you are going to get caught for excise, customs, and VAT ( tax ) at some point. Customs have become remarkably good at sniffing out packages containing alcohol. Knowing correctly how to calculate how much this will cost may help you come to a determination on whether or not its worth shipping home that bottle.
Here is a breakdown of what revenue will charge you before your package is released from your carrier/service provider. Please note this does not include your carriers service charge, which varies anywhere from €10 minimum to up to 5% of the goods worth.
EXCISE DUTY
Currently, the excise on 1 Litre of alcohol costs €42.57, and generally speaking most bottles from America are 75cl ( 750ml ). Let’s say that your 75cl bottle of whiskey has an ABV of 46%, you can work out the excise owed by the following formula:
size of bottle in ml x .alcohol percentage = total ml of alcohol in bottle
So , for the above scenario we have:
750ml x .46 = 345ml of pure alcohol
We then take the ml of alcohol and multiply it by the total excise per litre ( €42.57 ),
.345ml x €42.57 = €14.68 Excise Duty to be paid.
CUSTOMS IMPORT DUTY
As the name suggests, an import duty is also calculated when the bottle shipped in from the U.S. You didnt just think you had excise to pay, did you?
Customs import duty varies between countries around the world. As anyone knows when you buy a bottle of alcohol within the European Union you do not have to pay a customs import duty when it arrives in Ireland. Perks of the EU’s single market trade agreement. However, if importing Whiskey ( Specifically ) from America then you can look forward to paying 25% on the value of the bottle of whiskey.
If a bottle of whiskey cost ( in euro and without shipping costs ) €100, then your import duty costs €100 x .25 = €25
VAT ( VALUE ADDED TAX )
And just when you thought it was all over, you get charged VAT. As if things weren’t bad enough. But I hear you ask ” didn’t we just pay tax with excise “? Yes, well kind of. In the technical breakdown of it here you are taxing a tax. So you’re being taxed twice, on import alone, Basically. On the above info lets work out the VAT owed and we can finally see the true cost of importing alcohol from the USA. The current rate of VAT in Ireland on goods and services is 23%.
EXCISE ON ABOVE = €14.68 IMPORT DUTY = €25 BOTTLE VALUE = €100
BOTTLE VALUE + IMPORT DUTY + EXCISE = 139.68 VAT AT 23% of €139.68 = €32.12
Grand total then is – EXCISE + IMPORT DUTY + VAT
GRAND TOTAL OWED TO REVENUE = €71.80
That my friends is Revenue for you!
The final figure above is also not taking into account the supplier’s shipping fees ( plus VAT ), handling fees, and other charges that may eventually be added on. So you see how quickly this can add up and how expensive it can be to get your package in from the states, Keep in mind, of course, you have already paid for the bottle and shipping within the United States! Before your next purchase you need to ask yourselves, is it worth it?
FINALLY
For the collector and hardcore whiskey enthusiast/drinker, you need to make a decision on whether or not the bottle is worth that extra cost. In part 2 of the series, I’ll look at how to overcome getting the bottles across the pond, possible workarounds, and legal ways of getting your whiskey home, safe. Be sure to subscribe to the blog for part 2 and bookmark this page for future reference, until next time, Sláinte.
As we are used to, or, would drink on the regular. This is a tip of the cap, a nod to the gods, a throwback to old school if you will, you hopefully get where I’m going with this. This is the birth of Whiskey as we know it today. Let’s get into it….
HISTORY LESSON 1324
If I was to get into the history of how this all began we would be here all night. So I’m not going to do that, there are countless books and documentation on the subject. I’m going to save some time here and take the easy way out. Watch the video.
THE BIT THATS NOT WRITTEN ON THE BOTTLE
To me this is the part I love to know, the “ behind the scenes” version of the story, enter Chris Hennessy ( The Dylan Whiskey Bar ) & Jarrod Cuffe ( Off the Cuffe Bitters ).
I could begin by telling you that the original idea came about from a tasting event in Dublin that was conducted by no other than Fionnán O’Connor ( A glass apart book, which if you haven’t read then I would highly recommend a read of ). I could also tell you that the conversation they had led Chris to the RCB Library in Dundrum, which houses some of Irelands oldest books that can only be read in temperature-controlled rooms. The type of rooms where white gloves and tweezers are used to turn pages.
But ill stick to what stands out most, the details. The original recipe for Aqua Vitae was found in the Red Book of Ossory, and in Latin, actually not just Latin – compound Latin, which is the same as short handwriting today in English. Now I’m not entirely sure if your Latin is up to par with mine but compound Latin is equivalent to an Irishman trying to figure out strong hand Chinese writing for the first time.
There are only so many institutions or people in the world today that can properly and accurately transcribe old school Latin. Chris Hennessy remarked, “ it was a huge challenge, one that would not run the course of a week or two, there were various difficulties in the transcribing, such so, there were instances that led us to the bible to try and find units of measurements and certain botanicals or roots that would have been used, or even what these botanicals were previously referred to as”. Many of us would faint at the sheer workload involved here.
CAN I GO HOME NOW?
No, absolutely not, not until all 93 tinctures (of individual flavors) that were developed are properly balanced and integrated together to form a version of the final product, from scratch, by Chirs & Jarrod using nothing but their eye, taste, and experience. There were literally dozens of batches made up, maceration times on ingredients changed to allow more flavor profiles through to the drinker and pull back on some of the more obvious flavor profiles. From this point, Chris states “ I wanted every single component in the profile to be recognizable and acknowledged by the drinker”.
While the recipe is, of course, a closely coveted secret, I can tell you some of the ingredients involved. If you’ve had the pleasure of trying Aqua Vitae then you may have picked up on its rich use of botanicals. Cloves, Raisins, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Mace, Saffron, Spikenard, Grain of Paradise, and of course pot still new make, which leads the way to the cracked black pepper and white pepper spiciness, are just some of the ingredients used in the recipe.
Long story short ( er ), three and a half years, yes 3 – 1/2 years, from conception to release is what it took to get this project from the basic idea to batch 1 release. And now, approaching a batch 3 release ( thank you Covid – 19 for the delay ), Aqua Vitae has perfected its recipe.
THE BIG PICTURE
What we have to understand here is that, upon initial release, Aqua Vitae is telling a story. A 740-year story derived from 1324. According to Chris Hennessy, there are 300 years of information still missing in history archives before we even begin to get into Whiskey that reflects a current or 19th-century trend. Which begs the question, who is willing to go the distance to inform us? I think you already know. Watch this space….
DRINK IT
Aqua Vitae can, of course, be enjoyed neat, which I’ve tried and is, in my opinion, a reflection of Christmas in a glass. But I would like to change it up from the norm, try this. Chris has been kind enough to forward the first Signature serve of Aqua Vitae. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Sláinte.
Yep, and if you’re reading this online right now then that means that I’ve successfully uploaded this to my blog. Result!!
Firstly allow me to introduce myself, My name is Brian Hennessy and I am currently residing in Kilkenny Ireland, I dabble in the DJ world mostly these days, Let me tell you a bit more about myself, get comfy.
The wonder years..
Born and bred ( for the most part ) in Kilkenny I was swiftly whisked away to the states at the very early age of 4. The 80s recession was in full bloom at the time of evacuation. I pretty much spent the better part of my childhood in New York moving around various times. I still have family there and I visit regularly ( I got connections … watch this space ).
Homeward Bound..
The year was 1999, The Celtic Tiger was in full swing and money was rife, the decision from the powers above decided a move back “home” would be beneficial. The mighty Murica was abandoned for bad weather, good health and the craic! Baggy trousers would soon take a back seat to Metallica T shirts and sneaking out to drink in a field……
Whiskey Whiskey Whiskey
We can move on a few years from the bad fashion sense and questionable drinking choices to more recent years and better life choices. I’m not entirely sure exactly when this happened, but it was an eye-opener, years of experimenting had led me to this exact moment, call it fate, call it my “journey”, whatever, it was meant to be, I was introduced to Irish Whiskey, Proper Irish whiskey. Midleton Very rare.
It was delicious, it was like nothing I had ever tried. I couldn’t drink vodka ( poisoned myself ), I couldn’t drink rum ( poisoned myself ), I certainly couldn’t drink tequila ( poisoned myself & best friend ). This was legit, delicious, easy drink ( I thought anyway ). From then on whiskey was always my first choice, and still is, only now my taste has become quite expensive, and I may have accumulated a few bottles along the way…..
My “Mission Statement”
Quite simply I want to write about things that newby ( or even veteran ) whiskey drinkers may have questions about. Cask finishes & types, whiskey lifestyle, glass selection, etiquette and so on. This being from a learners perspective, I’ll get all nerdy so you don’t have to. One thing this blog isn’t, it isn’t a news, stories or new releases blog, there are plenty of extremely talented bloggers out there that would do a far better job than I would when it comes to things like that.
As this is a hobby, and hobbies are meant to be fun, if we had a little craic along the way then how bad.
In Conclusion
There ya have it, a snapshot into my life, or rather a very very very very brief intro into me and the blog. I look forward to interacting with you either personally, through the blog or of course on social media ( click the social icons and follow ). Until then, keep her between the ditches.
