Please choose where you are shipping from in order to get relevant shipping information.
General Shipping Info
WBC Shipping Address:
BA – WBC 2025
587 S. Taylor Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
USA
US Shipping Info
Looking for ways to save money on shipping? Breweries may consolidate shipments when sending competition beers. This saves time and money! Consider contacting your local guild or other nearby breweries to discuss the option of palletizing your competition entries and shipping them together via a freight company, which tend to encounter less issues (loss of shipment, breakage, etc.) than individual shipments sent via UPS or FedEx.
View a list of U.S. based self-reported consolidation sites here (Note: This is a list of self-organized, independent consolidated shipments. The shipments/shippers listed on this page have not been verified or endorsed by the Brewers Association and are not financially supported by Brewers Association. They are simply Please only work with entities you recognize or know.)
Organizing your own consolidated shipment in your area? Publish it here (Note: Please note, consolidated shipments submitted via this form are considered “unofficial” – meaning they are not verified or endorsed by the Brewers Association, nor is the Brewers Association able to financially support these consolidation sites. Instead this is an opportunity for breweries, guilds and/or suppliers to work together in an effort to pool resources and save on individual shipping costs for the World Beer Cup competition.)
Please do not use the United States Postal Service (USPS). FedEx, UPS, DHL, and private couriers work well, and freight companies work best.
When sending beer via UPS or FedEx, it may be best to schedule a pickup from your home or place of business. Often shipments brought directly into a UPS or FedEx store may get denied as shipping alcohol is against UPS and FedEx policy (unless you have a business account that allows for these type of shipments).
All regulatory and financial burdens associated with submitting samples to the World Beer Cup are the sole responsibility of the entering brewery. C.O.D shipments will not be accepted.
Once the Brewers Association receives your entries at our warehouse (currently located at 587 S. Taylor Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027), we will transport entries via refrigerated trailer to the venue where the competition will take place. In the event of an unforeseen event or circumstance where we are unable to execute the competition (e.g., a truck crash), the Brewers Association will refund associated entry fees. Refunds are limited to the entry fees paid by the entering brewery for the World Beer Cup 2025 competition ($185US). The entry feel reimbursement shall be an entering brewery’s sole and exclusive remedy and any related shipping or transit costs are not reimbursable.
Beer Quantities / Amount to Send for Judging
The number of bottles/cans to be sent for the competition depends on the size of the bottle/can the beer is in and competition category it is entered into. Please use the following as a guideline: Some categories have a larger number of competing entries, therefore will undergo more rounds of judging and will require more samples to be sent. Please be sure to use the appropriate information below, based on the category your entries will be judged in.
Quantities for 4- and 5-round categories (listed below):
| Bottle/Can Container Size | Amount to Ship |
|---|---|
| 588 ml (19.9 oz) or less | 12 bottles/cans |
| 589 ml (20 oz) and higher | 8 bottles/cans |
The following categories undergo 4 or 5 rounds of judging, and therefore will need to send more samples of beer for judging (listed above):
| Category Number | Style Name |
|---|---|
| 19 | Experimental Beer |
| 20 | Experimental India Pale Ale |
| 24 | American-Style Sour Ale |
| 28 | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer |
| 29 | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout |
| 34 | International Light Lager |
| 35 | International Pilsener |
| 37 | Hoppy Lager |
| 39 | International Dark Lager |
| 40 | German-Style Pilsener |
| 41 | Bohemian-Style Pilsener |
| 42 | Munich-Style Helles |
| 57 | New Zealand-Style India Pale Ale |
| 59 | German-Style Koelsch |
| 63 | South German-Style Hefeweizen |
| 97 | American-Style Pale Ale |
| 100 | Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale |
| 101 | Imperial India Pale Ale |
| 102 | Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale |
| 103 | American-Style Amber/Red Ale |
| 108 | American-Style India Pale Ale |
| 109 | Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale |
| 110 | West-Coast Style India Pale Ale |
Quantities required for ALL OTHER categories (not listed above):
| Bottle/Can Container Size: | Amount to Ship |
|---|---|
| 322 ml (10.9 oz) or less | 10 bottles/cans |
| 323 ml (11 oz) – 588 ml (19.9 oz) | 8 bottles/cans |
| 589 ml (20 oz) and higher | 5 bottles/cans |
Beer Labeling
Brewing companies that normally bottle or can their products must send the beer in its commercially available container with the beer’s standard label.
Get Shipping and Competition Labels
- Clarity and accuracy are key, please use the barcode beer labels emailed to you by the Brewers Association — these print on Avery 5160 label sizes)
- Verify Information: Make sure the info on the label matches the info we have registered for the competition exactly. If the info differs at all, it will cause problems during sorting and judging. The World Beer Cup is not responsible for issues caused due to errors in labeling.
- Print them: Print official barcode labels and affix one label to each bottle with adhesive (adhesive labels, clear packing tape, glue, etc.). Do not rubber band or tie loose paper to the bottles or use clear labels – this will surely cause issues during sorting.
- Place them vertically on the side of the can or bottle. It is easier to scan barcodes when placed vertically.
- Don’t worry about these things:
- You do not need to remove any commercial labels that are already on the bottle/can.
- Detailed Judging information and pouring instructions on the label — this information is provided to judges separately.
- Please consider shipping extra bottles for our volunteer sorting crew that works hours in the cooler getting the competition beers sorted and inventoried for the competition.
- Non-US Breweries ONLY – Government Warning Label: All beers produced outside of the U.S. without U.S. federal label approval must attach a label with the following text: For sample purposes only. Not for resale. Government Warning labels Government Warning: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery and may cause health problems.
Packaging Beers for Shipment
Package your beers in a way to withstand rough handling during transit. The World Beer Cup is not responsible for broken shipments. We will contact breweries if broken bottles are received, however time may not allow replacement bottles to be shipped. Determine the type of packaging that will ensure your beers maintain the best quality possible. Some breweries include cold packs in their shipments.
- Barcode Box Labels. Please use the shipping labels emailed to you by the Brewers Association (these are 2×4″ or Avery 5963 label sizes). Affix one label to each shipping box with adhesive (adhesive labels, clear packing tape, glue, etc.). Remember to hand write the total number of boxes being shipped on each shipping label (i.e. Box #1 of 3, Box #2 of 3, Box #3 of 3, etc.)
- Create a packing list/inventory each box: place one copy in the box, and keep one copy for yourself. In an instance where there is an issue with your shipment (i.e. one of a brewery’s four boxes are damaged in shipment), it is much easier and quicker to find a solution when the brewery has kept track of which entries were packed and shipped in a specific box.
- Secure bottles/cans to avoid breakage: secure your samples so that they are packed to withstand very rough handling during transit. Specialized beer shipping containers are best, as they provide the best protection against damage. Newspaper and packing peanuts are NOT recommended as they do not offer much protection.
- Coolers or other special containers will not be returned.
Congratulations
You have reviewed all important packaging and shipping requirements. Bookmark this page in order to easily reference the important information below.
Beers Must Arrive March 24 – March 28
Beers Must Arrive March 10–March 14 at Global Consolidation Points
Competition entries must be received at the shipping address between March 24 and March 28.
Competition entries must be received at the consolidation points between March 10 and March 14.
Detailed shipping information will be sent to participating breweries once the registration process is completed. Please carefully read the following to plan properly and to ensure your beer entries arrive on time. Late entries will not be judged.
Contact info@brewersassociation.org with questions.
To manage your competition registration information:
WBC Shipping Address
BA – WBC 2025
587 S. Taylor Avenue
Louisville, CO 80027
USA
Below begins the international shipping info
- Please first register your beer entries for the competition here
- Once registered for the competition, please choose how you plan to ship your beer.
Note: shipping via consolidation point requires pre-registration by 4 February.
Confirm or Register for a D-U-N-S Number
Before shipping your beers, U.S. law requires all producers of food products, including beer, to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Food Facility. FDA Food Facility Registrations must be renewed every two years and can be completed free of charge.
Important:
Businesses registering as an FDA Food Facility must provide a Unique Facility Identifier (UFI) during the registration process. The requirement applies to both new facilities registering with FDA for the first time, and those submitting a registration renewal. Currently, the FDA recognizes the D-U-N-S number as the only acceptable UFI for food facility registration.
The following steps serve as instructions for breweries located outside of the United States to confirm whether they either:
- Already have a D-U-N-S number and can proceed with FDA Food Facility Registration, or
- If a D-U-N-S number still needs to be acquired. Don’t worry, we’ll help you with this!
What is a D-U-N-S Number?
The Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S® Number (short for Data Universal Numbering System) is a nine-digit unique identifier for businesses. Hundreds of millions of D-U-N-S Numbers exist for companies across the globe. There is no fee to receive a D-U-N-S Number.
Instructions for World Beer Cup participating breweries:
Step 1 – Determine whether your brewery already has a D-U-N-S number: A D-U-N-S number does not expire, and your business may already have one registered. Use the DUNS Search guide to determine whether your brewery already has a registered D-U-N-S number.
Step 2 – If you have confirmed your brewery has a D-U-N-S number, please proceed to FDA Facility Registration.
If you were unable to find a D-U-N-S number on the Dun & Bradstreet site for your brewery, please follow the prompts to submit a request for a new D-U-N-S number (See DUNS Search Guide – very end of document). D-U-N-S numbers typically take 30 days** to receive back from Dun & Bradstreet and will be provided to the email entered below, by the Brewers Association, upon receipt from Dun & Bradstreet.
Don’t Wait: Requests for a D-U-N-S Number should be submitted in December 2024.
Registering Your Brewery with the U.S. FDA *required*
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency responsible for public health and safety, requires all international breweries sending beer into the United States to register the brewery as a food facility. All international breweries must be registered with the FDA to compete in the World Beer Cup.
The Brewers Association recommends completing your FDA Food Facility Registration no later than January 17.
FDA Food Facility Registrations must be renewed every two years and can be completed free of charge. If you have previously created a Food Facility Registration with the FDA, you can login to this page to determine whether your registration is active or needs to be renewed.
In order to register or renew as a Food Facility with the U.S. FDA, you will need to provide a D-U-N-S number during the registration process. If you do not have a D-U-N-S number, please revert to the previous step of World Beer Cup shipping instructions (Step 1).
Instructions for registering your brewery as a Food Facility with the U.S. FDA:
- Create a new account with the U.S. FDA or Login with your existing credentials via the link at the top of this page.
- Once you are logged in, carefully follow the instructions in the PDF guide to complete the Food Facility registration process process.
Important: When you are asked to provide information on who to use for the United States Agent, you must use the following information:
Required Documents When Shipping
All breweries outside of the U.S. must pre-register their international shipping method before January 31 using the WBC International Shipping Registration form.
International breweries not using a global consolidation point may ship their entries directly to the competition in one of two ways:
- Use Your United States Distributor/Importer: If your beers are currently distributed in the U.S., your distributor may deliver them directly to the host distributor. Details on this location will be shared once registration is complete.
- Ship Directly Using an International Courier: DHL is heavily advised as a recommended international carrier, but if you plan to use a different international courier, please notify us of your shipper. Note: Breweries that use a courier that bills customs charges back to the Brewers Association will be responsible for paying all of these charges before their beers are judged.
Breweries shipping with an international courier (option 2 above) must include a Commercial Invoice as part of required documentation with your shipment. The Brewers Association recommends using DHL to ship your entries, but you may choose an alternate carrier. Please use the Commercial Invoice Templates provided below, depending on which carrier you choose:
- If you are shipping your entries with DHL (RECOMMENDED) use the Commercial Invoice Template (if shipping using DHL) – Sections shown as fillable boxes (usually light blue in color) on the template must be completed by the brewery.
- If you are using an alternate carrier (NOT DHL) to ship your entries (NOT RECOMMENDED) use the Commercial Invoice Template (If shipping with other carrier — Not DHL) – Sections shown as fillable boxes (usually light blue in color) on the template must be completed by the brewery.
Important: Once your Commercial Invoice is completed, share the completed document with us in advance of shipment so that your COLA Waiver may be approved on your behalf. Failure to provide your commercial invoice in advance of shipping may result in delayed delivery.
Please file prior notice with the FDA, just before shipping your beers to the U.S.
Breweries shipping with DHL may have Prior Notice automatically completed for them, but we suggest confirming that with your local DHL office.
- Click Here for a PDF guide illustrating how to File Prior Notice.
- Here is an example of a completed Prior Notice Entry.
- Harmonized Tariff Schedule Number: 2203-00-0030.
- The FDA product code for beer is 32ACT04. Once you receive your login information, go back into the system and “Register a Food Facility”.
Once the Brewers Association receives your entries at our warehouse (currently located at 587 S. Taylor Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027), we will transport entries via refrigerated trailer to the venue where the competition will take place. In the event of an unforeseen event or circumstance where we are unable to execute the competition (e.g., a truck crash), the Brewers Association will refund associated entry fees. Refunds are limited to the entry fees paid by the entering brewery for the World Beer Cup 2025 competition ($185US). The entry feel reimbursement shall be an entering brewery’s sole and exclusive remedy and any related shipping or transit costs are not reimbursable.
Ship Using International Consolidation Points (Pre-registration required)
The Brewers Association has set up consolidation points in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Japan, and Mexico. The Brewers Association will then arrange for the beers to be airfreighted from the consolidation points to the United States.
All breweries outside of the U.S. must pre-register their international shipping method before January 31 using the WBC International Shipping Registration form.
Competition entries from breweries utilizing consolidation point must be delivered to the appropriate address March 10–March 14.
Additional information:
- Do not package samples in wood or send on wooden pallets as wood is not accepted by US Customs. We cannot accept the risk of detaching cartons affixed to the pallet for risk of breakage.
- Do not include any other items in the shipment than the samples themselves. No coasters, glassware or other material should be sent as that may cause the shipment to be disallowed by US Customs.
- Mark each carton on the outside with your brewery name and write “WBC 2025”
Once the Brewers Association receives your entries at our warehouse (currently located at 587 S. Taylor Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027), we will transport entries via refrigerated trailer to the venue where the competition will take place. In the event of an unforeseen event or circumstance where we are unable to execute the competition (e.g., a truck crash), the Brewers Association will refund associated entry fees. Refunds are limited to the entry fees paid by the entering brewery for the World Beer Cup 2025 competition ($185US). The entry feel reimbursement shall be an entering brewery’s sole and exclusive remedy and any related shipping or transit costs are not reimbursable.
