Direct-ship liquor won’t put youth at risk
In the recent commentary “Manufacturer-to-consumer alcohol shipping is a bad bet,” Jan. 16, the author claims that shipping alcohol by manufacturers directly to consumers will lead to increases in underage drinking. But in New York state, alcohol shipments by state wineries have existed for decades while data shows underage drinking rates in the state have been in decline.
Nonprofit think tank R Street Institute analyzed the potential impact of wine direct-to-consumer shipping on underage drinking, reporting: “States that have continuously allowed directto-consumer wine shipments for the past few decades have seen the largest decline in underage drinking,” suggesting that such shipping has not led to an increase in underage drinking.
The author’s claim that shipping by manufacturers would be “an unregulated, unsupervised channel” couldn’t be further from the truth. Alcohol is one of the most heavily regulated products in the United States, requiring licensing by the federal government and State Liquor Authority.
During the COVID emergency, distillers were temporarily allowed to ship directto-consumer for over a year. State distilleries worked with a leader in the shipment of controlled substances, UPS. We shipped only to states that permitted spirit shipments and required adult signatures and ID checks. UPS did not leave a package on the doorstep. We shipped without a single reported incident of underage access to alcohol in any state.
More than 180 distillers in New York operate locally owned businesses that have a personal stake in the wellbeing of our communities. Distillers should have the same market access channels enjoyed by state wine producers.
Brian Facquet
Roscoe President, New York State
Distillers Guild