Question for the beer-trading vets (and a general beer question as well)

[JPBoston]

Hey guys ---

I'm about to do my first beer trade with a friend in Maine (I'm in AZ).

I'm hoping you can fill me in on the details of packing the bottles safely and shipping.

And if anybody could give me a estimate on the price to ship either a six pack or two 22oz bottles, that would be awesome. I know circumstances can change the price of shipping, but just a round-about figure to have in my head before I get to the post office would be nice.

Thanks!

* PS

I'm thinking of asking for something from Brooklyn brewery, as it appears Texas is as far west as they distribute... I've heard good things about them and don't think I can get any here in AZ.

It seems I'm not a fan of IPA's, or extra hoppy beers in general (There are certain types of Irish Reds that I love, but the really hoppy ones I'm not into). For instance, I didn't really love Hop Head Red, but Sleeping Dog Brewery has a red ale that I really dug. I even tried the Dogfish 90min IPA and it just wasn't my thing... even though I could taste the quality.

My favorites seem to be the Belgian Whites, Brown Ales, Red Ales (non hoppy ones, lol) and Stouts. If anybody has suggestions for Brooklyn brews in that range or any other East coast brews, that would be great.

 

[Off_contstantly]

I can't give you any Brooklyn suggestions, but I can help with the packing and shipping.

When I ship, I use FedEx. They aren't too expensive, and haven't ever asked what I'm shipping. I would have to guess that something like a 6-pk or a couple 22's would be around $10, but that's just a guess based off of what I've shipped in the past.

When I pack the beer, I put a ring of electrician's tape around the bottle cap/bottle opening. After that, I wrap each bottle in either newspaper or bubble wrap to keep them from breaking against each other. Then everything gets put into a plastic bag and tied shut, so if something breaks, it doesn't leak out of the package. If it leaks and gets out, FedEx will keep your box. Finally, I put it all into a box and try to make sure that there is one to two inches of padding between the beer and the box walls.

Splax and Mobius would be good sources as well.