Our Hoppy Journey Through the Shipping Maze

In 2023, we raised our glasses high, toasting to the dream of shipping our beloved brews beyond the borders of Alaska in 2024. But some time later, it seems our beer is still enjoying the Alaskan scenery—and not on your doorstep.

After the bustling 2023 season, we decided to dive headfirst into the frothy world of direct-to-consumer beer shipping. To our surprise (and slight dismay), while many states roll out the red carpet for wineries to ship bottles of vino directly to your living room, fewer extend the same welcome to out-of-state breweries like ours. The lucky states that do allow out-of-state breweries to ship beer directly to consumers are Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

But hold your pint glasses! Even in these states, we can't just toss our crowlers into a box and waltz over to the post office—especially since the United States Postal Service says "no way" to shipping alcohol. So, we knocked on UPS's door. And you know what they quoted us to send four 32oz cans to the Lower 48? Almost $100! Nope, that's not a typo—it really is one hundred bucks just for the shipping.

And that's not the only buzzkill. Each of these states comes with its own labyrinth of regulations, licensing requirements, volume limits, and tax obligations. Navigating this is more complicated (and costly) than finding your cabin on a 15-deck cruise ship after the midnight buffet.

So, unless we switch gears and start crafting Spruce Tip Wine (tempting, but we'll stick to beer), or the laws miraculously change, we've decided not to pour any more resources into the shipping saga.

But don't let that dampen your spirits! If you're craving one of our handcrafted marvels, maybe it's the universe telling you it's time for an adventure. Dust off your suitcase, give your travel agent a ring, and plan a trip to our beautiful home in Skagway. Here, the food is always delicious, the beer is fresh and exceptional, and the scenery is out of this world.

Cheers to you, and here's hoping we see you soon!