[Whiskey Decision] 📦Direct-to-Consumer Gets Messy

Turkey Bowling: a twist on Thanksgiving where a frozen turkey becomes your bowling ball in an impromptu alley, be it an office corridor or a parking lot. This game is a culinary rebellion, a blend of the absurd and the adventurous. It's a far cry from traditional Thanksgiving - more about laughter and bending rules. In this quirky sport, 'fowl' play is the goal, and the only stuffing happens when that turkey strikes down pins. It's a salute to the spontaneous, where Thanksgiving's spirit indulges in its own absurdity.

In today's dispatch, we're diving headfirst into:

• Direct-to-Consumer: It’s archaic, it’s a labyrinth, and a lot of red-tape

• Worthy Reads: Sampling some of the best from around the web

• Cocktail: A bit of gratitude in time for Thanksgiving

📬DTC Spirits: An Unfiltered Look at the Bureaucratic Maze

Direct-to-consumer (DtC) spirits shipping in America: it's a topic fizzing over with potential yet drowning in a sea of bureaucratic red tape. Distilleries, thirsty for change, are up against an antiquated, fragmented system of state alcohol regulations that's a mess.

We go wading into murky waters of the current DtC spirits shipping landscape, dissecting the stifling regulations, emerging legislative efforts, burgeoning consumer demand, and the untapped potential for distilleries in a world less chained by prohibition-era mindsets.

The Current DtC Spirits Shipping Maze: Where Confusion Festers

The USPS, sidelined by federal law, leaves distilleries in the hands of UPS and FedEx, who aren't exactly rolling out the red carpet with their Alcohol Shipping Agreements and hefty fees.

A mere 8 states, plus Washington D.C., permit interstate DtC spirits shipping. For those who love percentages that is about 5.7% of the country’s population. That's not just restrictive; it's laughably archaic.

And just because a state permits DtC doesn’t mean there aren’t more hurdles. California & New Hampshire only permit DtC from in-state distilleries. While Oregon, Virginia, and Minnesota have licensing requirements and geographic restrictions. Why make things easy?

The roots of today's DtC shipping laws are tangled in the temperance movement's sobering shadow and the Prohibition era's hangover. The 21st Amendment gave states the power to call the shots on alcohol laws, leading to today's patchwork of regulations that would make even a sober person stagger.

According to a 2023 survey by Sovos ShipCompliant and the American Craft Spirits Association, 87% of craft spirits drinkers are pushing for legal DtC shipping, up from 80% in 2022.

The USPS Shipping Equity Act of 2021: a glimmer of hope that fizzled out in Congress. It aimed to let the USPS join the alcohol shipping party, but no luck.
Analysis projects USPS alcohol shipping revenues could realize ~$180 million annually. However, this would equate to only around 0.23% of USPS's total annual operating revenues- $90 billion in 2022.

With a projected average monthly spend of $114 per household, we're not talking pocket change; we're looking at a potential multi-billion dollar market, just waiting to be uncorked.

These legislative attempts, though unsuccessful, are signs of a growing appetite for shaking up the old ways.

DtC could be a game-changer for distilleries. It's not just about sales; it's about brand love. A staggering 86% would view a DtC-offering distillery more favorably. We're talking free marketing, a boost in sales, and a surge in brand loyalty.

A Sobering Reality with a Twist of Hope. DtC is a complex cocktail of interests, but with enough industry and consumer pressure, we might just see a new dawn in the spirits shipping saga.

🎁 Share the Decision (About Whiskey of Course)

📰 Worthy Whiskey News (a.k.a. our favorite reads)

• Looming tariffs place bourbon exports in a precarious spot

• $124 Billion by 2030. The projected market of craft spirits

• Records were broken in London. Macallan 1926 goes for over…

📈 Top 5 Pour Decisions: The Priciest of Whiskeys 📈

Biggest five-year price surges among our featured whiskeys for 2023

1. Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Bourbon +486%

2. Springbank 21 y/o Single Malt Scotch Whisky +397%

3. Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon +306%

4. Elijah Craig 23 y/o Bourbon +300%

5. Hancock’s President’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon +293%

🦃The Gratitude Cocktail🍗
No this isn’t a stuffing-infused whiskey cocktail but it is a gem.

For cocktail directions head on over to Whiskey Thief!
Remember to enjoy responsibly!

What a ride it's been this week, huh? Thanks for joining us on this journey through the world of good spirits at great prices.

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Thanks again for being here. Let's raise a glass to the week ahead.