Sovos ShipCompliant and Brewers Association’s Direct-to-Consumer Beer Shipping Report reinforces benefits direct-to-consumer shipping and highlights inequities with wine market
ATLANTA – MARCH 12, 2025 – The majority of Americans want to see laws changed to expand direct-to-consumer shipping access to beer, according to the fifth annual Direct-to-Consumer Beer Shipping Report. The report, based on a survey commissioned by Sovos ShipCompliant and the Brewers Association and conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 83% of regular craft beer drinkers and 64% of legal drinking age Americans believe that current laws in the U.S. should be updated to make it legal to ship beer directly to consumers in more states than the 12 U.S. states it is currently legal in.
Currently, only 11 states, plus D.C., are permitted to ship beer DtC across state lines, while most of the U.S. — 47 states and D.C — allow DtC wine shipping. Making DtC shipping of beer legal in more states could have a substantial impact on brewery revenues. The majority of regular craft beer drinkers express intent to increase the quantity of craft beer purchases and likelihood to try craft beer from out-of-state if they could do so this way. Over three-quarters (76%) of regular craft beer drinkers would increase purchasing if they were able to have it shipped directly to their home. Furthermore, more than four in five regular craft beer drinkers (86%) say the ability to purchase beer via DtC would make them more likely to try beer from out-of-state breweries.
“Once again, majorities of regular craft beer drinkers and adult Americans alike have expressed their belief that current beer shipping laws need to be expanded. The takeaways remain clear: there is significant opportunity for a larger, well-regulated direct-to-consumer shipping channel that complements three-tier distribution, helps craft brewers and their business partners, and benefits consumers alike,” said Alex Koral, regulatory general counsel, Sovos ShipCompliant. “Breweries and beer drinkers are simply seeking the same access and opportunities as the wine industry, which has been successfully and responsibly shipping DtC for decades.”
Key highlights from the report include:
Consumers want DtC shipping legalization across the U.S.
- More than four in five regular craft beer drinkers (83%) and nearly two-thirds of Americans aged 21+ (64%) believe current laws in the U.S. should be updated to legalize direct-to-consumer beer shipping in more states than the 12 U.S. states it is currently legal in.
Purchase intent at retail is strong for DtC shipped brands.
- The vast majority (95%) of regular craft beer drinkers who would be likely to purchase craft beer via DtC say if they enjoyed a craft beer they purchased via DtC, they would be likely to look for that same brand at retail stores, bars or restaurants, mitigating the argument that DtC shipping will have an adverse effect on retail sales.
DtC shipping restrictions are inhibiting brewery growth and ability reach new audiences.
- 76% of regular craft beer drinkers say they would increase purchasing if DtC shipping were legally available and 86% say the ability to purchase beer through DtC shipping would increase their likelihood of trying out-of-state beers. Additionally, 80% of regular craft beer drinkers report having tried a beer while traveling that they would like to purchase but are unable to find it once they return home.
“Direct-to-consumer shipping is one opportunity to bridge that gap between consumer preferences and the realities of the distributed market. The fact is, with nearly 10,000 craft brewers in the United States, and more consolidation of the wholesale and retail tiers, craft brewers should have the same opportunities as other producers to explore other market access opportunities,” said Bart Watson, president & CEO, Brewers Association. “For many small and independent brewers, DtC shipping would be an opportunity—a new way to create and maintain relationships with customers, in much the same way that DtC wine shipping created opportunity for small wineries decades ago.”
To download the full Direct-to-Consumer Beer Shipping Report, visit dtcbeerreport.com. To stay up-to-date on the regulation of DtC shipping of beer, visit our state-by-state rules page.
Survey Method: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Sovos ShipCompliant from January 7-9, 2025 among 2,021 U.S. adults ages 21 and older, among whom 632 drink craft beer at least once per month. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact helloship@sovos.com.
About Sovos
Sovos is transforming tax compliance from a business requirement to a force for growth. Our flagship product, the Sovos Compliance Cloud platform, enables businesses to identify, determine, and report on every tax obligation across the globe. Sovos processes 16 billion+ transactions per year, helping companies scale their compliance strategy in almost 200 countries.
More than 100,000 customers – including half the Fortune 500 – trust Sovos’ tax and regulatory expertise and unparalleled integration with their business applications. Learn more at sovos.com.
Sovos ShipCompliant has been the leader in automated alcohol beverage compliance tools for 20 years, providing a full suite of cloud-based solutions to wineries, breweries, distilleries, importers, distributors and retailers to ensure they meet all federal and state regulations for direct-to-consumer and three-tier distribution. ShipCompliant’s solutions reduce risk, lessen the burden of compliance, accelerate bringing products to market and enable revenue growth. With 60+ partner integrations, Sovos ShipCompliant leads a robust ecosystem of technology partnerships, enabling powerful complementary solutions. For more information, visit https://sovos.com/shipcompliant and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,700-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. For more information, visit BrewersAssociation.org.
