When it comes to sending business gifts to the USA, liquor gifts are among the most popular. From fine wine to a rich scotch – alcohol gifts are iconic corporate gestures in USA culture. However, sending corporate alcohol gifts to the USA can often be tricky to navigate.
Luckily for you, this blog outlines everything you need to know about alcohol as business gifts. From what to send and when to send it – our experts have done the research so you can surprise your business VIPs with quality liquor.
What Happens if I Ship Alcohol to the USA?
This is probably the most common question about corporate alcohol gifts. Many people want to cut out the middleman and send a local bottle of wine or other alcohol directly to the USA. Sending corporate alcohol gifts to the USA isn’t that upfront, however. Crossing customs is possible for many gifts, such as jewelry, technology, books, and even furniture. However, food and beverages are incredibly restricted. Sending corporate alcohol gifts to the USA as a person is nearly impossible.
In general, mail in the USA doesn’t allow individuals to send alcohol at all. Federal law is clear that you can only send alcohol through the mail as a properly licensed company. State law, however, can make this even more murky. There is some wiggle room to be had if you’d like to send your liquor gifts through a courier – however, that is likely to lead to extra duties fees that may be passed on to your recipient.
The only reliable way to surprise your business associates in the USA with liquor gifts is to use a trusted local company to source and deliver the gift for you. And, this is where the experts at Drinkable Gifts have you covered! With a selection of the most popular alcohol gifts in the USA delivered in as little as 2-3 business days.
Sending Corporate Alcohol Gifts to the USA: A Small Checklist
While we’ve answered the question: Can I send alcohol as a corporate gift to the USA? There’s a more important question – SHOULD you send alcohol as a corporate gift to the USA? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
-Your first step should be to check with their company’s HR department – to find out their different rules for accepting gifts. It isn’t uncommon for companies to not allow alcohol gifts to be accepted at the office.
-In general, it is safest to send gifts containing wine, beer, and liquor to the recipient’s home address. This helps them avoid any potential issues with the office and puts the gift right where they are most likely to enjoy it!
-Next, you’ll want to check that your recipient is of legal drinking age. In the USA, that magical number is 21 – which can be confusing for countries whose legal drinking age is younger.
-Finally – check with your recipient that they actually drink. The USA is a huge melting pot, and it isn’t always easy to tell if your recipient enjoys drinking alcohol or not. If you can’t find a way to check with every recipient one on one, we have a solution for that! Working with our experts, you can launch a corporate gift campaign that allows your recipient to select their gift. Just ensure you have selected options both with and without alcohol, and they can take care of choosing the best fit for them.
When To Send Corporate Alcohol Gifts to the USA
Sending business gifts is an art form. When those business gifts happen to be liquor gifts – the art gets trickier. Timing is key for any gift to have the right impact, but that goes double in the world of corporate gift-giving. The best times to send alcohol gifts are traditionally during the highlights of the year.
Birthdays
Birthdays make for an excellent time to send wine to the USA. If you happen to know their favorite drink is actually beer or liquor that’s a little stronger, send that instead. The point of birthdays in the USA is to make the recipient feel special. While the world doesn’t revolve around them, spending a day being the center of attention is nice. While you may be sending this to a business associate, try to make the gift feel informal by leaving any business mentions out of the card.
Christmas
Christmas is an ideal excuse to pamper your corporate VIPs – though the timing can be difficult to get right as many families travel. It’s best to send your holiday gifts to the USA a bit early since local couriers are often overwhelmed with gifts the week of Christmas. You might find some inspiration for your holiday gift in this blog detailing tempting bourbon cocktails. Or brush up on how to elevate wine into a holiday event by reading this blog detailing the history behind mulled wine.
New Year
New Year’s Eveis probably the best time to send liquor gifts to the USA. There’s no better gift to send than an elegant bottle of champagne! As with Christmas, take care to send your gift at least a week in advance so your recipient can enjoy their bottle of bubbly to ring in the New Year. A New Year’s gift is the perfect time to go all out, so don’t be afraid to add an extra bottle to enjoy later, along with some snacks.
Best Alcohol to Give as a Corporate Gift in the USA
You’ve checked with HR – your recipients are all of age – and you’re ready to pick out alcohol gifts to surprise them. But what do you send? In an ideal world you would send everyone a bottle of their drink of choice. However, it can be next to impossible to keep track of everyone’s favorite alcoholic beverage. It’s even trickier to learn what their favorite might be in the first place.
Luckily there are a few safe options that are popular all over the USA.
Wine
Wine is the most popular corporate alcohol gift in the USA. This is true for a few reasons. The first is that hosting dinner parties is a common occurrence. Having extra bottles of wine in a few varieties will make their social life more enjoyable. The second is that wine is so varied – and while many people want to try a wide variety, they’ll rarely splurge on a whole bottle just to try a glass. Getting a new bottle to enjoy as a gift is a delightful and memorable event. When sending wine, try creating a custom wine gift that will help you and your recipient gain some common ground. Spoil them to your favorite bottle, and pair it with a choice you think (or know) they already enjoy.
Champagne
Champagne is the second most popular alcohol gift in the USA. A good bottle of champagne is known as the go-to gift for celebrating business openings, closing large deals, and welcoming a merger between office higher-ups. Sending champagne tells the recipient you see them as a big deal.
Liquor
Liquor comes in as the third most popular corporate alcohol gift in the USA. It comes in third because knowing the right liquor to send can be tricky. There’s no need to overthink it, though! Any quality bottle of liquor is well received, as many Americans keep a small selection on hand for making cocktails at home. In general, whiskey is the most popular liquor in the USA. It’s garnered a reputation of being high class, and as a bonus, it can be as good sipped straight or mixed into a cocktail. Vodka makes a close second due to its versatility.
Wrapping Up Corporate Alcohol Gifts to the USA
No matter what liquor gifts you want to send or when remember that the thought really counts. Take care to include a thoughtful card and follow up with your recipient to see how they enjoyed your gift. If you’d like more assistance figuring out the best liquor gifts to send, don’t hesitate to contact the Drinkable Gifts team! They’re ready 24/7 to help you over the phone, chat, or email.
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A foodie, nerd, book lover, and eager taste tester. I’m a night owl with a need to expand my knowledge of other cultures and places to give myself a better perspective.