Can you get liquor that is native to another country sent in the mail?

Question

My friend is opening a bar soon and I was wondering if it would be possible to have some beer and liqour that is native to australia sent to america in bulk with several bottles. or would you have to get in contact with the actual company.

Answer 1

a) Check with his usual (well, prospective) wholesaler if he can provide him with what he wants. If it can be done, that way is by far the simplest, since the wholesaler will have all the necessary contacts to order the liquor, and will take care of the customs, transportation, taxes and logistics stuff.

b) If the wholesaler doesn't do the stuff he wants and can't direct him to somebody who does, it's time to hit other wholesalers and liquor stores around and see if somebody can fill his needs. He may have to clear it with customs, and whatnot (the BATF?), since he'll be ordering in bulk, and for resale, which has legal implications far beyond grabbing a couple bottles for a party. All this applies to US based businesses fully licenced to sell alcoholic products inside the US : offshore is off limits and counts as c).

c) As a last resort, contact the makers, either to order direct or to ask about who distributes their products in the US. This also applies to any supplier based outside the US and not fully authorized to sell within American territory. What I said about clearing stuff with customs and the administration in b) counts double here, as he may be dealing with people who won't be able to do any of the red tape clearing for him, or even advise him as to the procedure. And large amounts of alcohol entering US territory and destined to a commercial operator WILL ring bells in customs, and possibly other administrations.

Answer 2

you will probably need to go to a wholesaler. its illegal to ship liqueur across state lines. you may want to take notice of any trucks making liqueur deliveries at the local liqueur store and take notice of the delivery company that the store is buying at wholesale pricing. give the delivery company a call so you can ask some questions about how it works. I am certain they would be obliged to help and possibly get new bussiness from you.

Answer 3

probably