Over the last several years, the whiskey world has experienced incredible innovation through distilling and blending techniques. However, one industry component lacking inventiveness is the direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping of spirits – which is no fault of the distilleries or thought leaders in whiskey. Instead, you can thank the antiquated laws in effect that date back to Prohibition.
Each state is sanctioned to establish its own laws for how alcohol may be produced, sold, and transported within its borders. Consequently, distillers may only ship in or into a state if that state’s laws allow for DtC shipping. Currently, only eight states and D.C. permit distillers for interstate shipment of spirits to their residents, which – as the below stats prove – is scarcer than craft spirits enthusiasts would prefer.
A 2022 study conducted through American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) with Sovos ShipCompliant shows that consumers want to shop for craft spirits in the same fashion they shop for most other packaged goods. The surveys were conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Sovos ShipCompliant in October 2022 among 1,958 adults aged 21 and up, among whom 618 are regular craft spirits
