Survey Finds 68% of Legal-Age U.S. Adults Back Broader Direct Shipping of Spirits

A new survey released on Wednesday, October 28, found broad support among U.S. adults of legal drinking age for expanding direct-to-consumer shipping of spirits, a sales channel that remains legal in only a small number of states.

The report was issued by Sovos ShipCompliant and the American Craft Spirits Association, using research conducted online by The Harris Poll. According to the survey, 68% of Americans age 21 and older said they want laws changed to allow broader direct shipping of spirits to consumers. Among regular craft spirits drinkers, support was higher at 81%.

The poll focused on direct-to-consumer, or DtC, shipping, which allows buyers to order products directly from producers for home delivery where state law permits it. The issue has become a growing point of debate in alcohol regulation because spirits remain far more restricted than wine under state shipping laws. Sovos ShipCompliant and ACSA said only 10 states and the District of Columbia currently have statutory authority allowing DtC spirits shipping. By comparison, 49 states and Washington permit DtC wine shipping.

The report said demand for access has remained steady over five consecutive years of research. Among regular craft spirits drinkers surveyed, 82% said they want the ability to legally buy craft spirits through direct shipping. Another 77% said they are likely to purchase craft spirits that way in the future, while 81% said they would be more likely to try new craft spirits if direct shipping were available.

The survey also pointed to travel as a common source of unmet demand. Among regular craft spirits drinkers, 76% said they had discovered a craft spirit while traveling that they later wished they could buy at home. That finding matters for smaller beverage producers because many independent distilleries have limited shelf space and distribution reach outside their home markets. Wider access to direct shipping could potentially give those businesses another path to reach consumers who already know their brands but cannot find them locally.

The report also argued that direct shipping could support, rather than replace, store sales. Among regular craft spirits drinkers who are likely to buy spirits online, 94% said they would be likely to look for a brand in stores after trying it through direct shipping. Nearly half, 49%, said they would be very likely to do so. If that pattern holds in practice, it could strengthen the case from craft producers that direct shipping functions as a discovery channel that feeds broader retail demand across the beverage alcohol market.

The study found similar results on repeat business and brand loyalty. Among regular craft spirits drinkers, 83% said they would be likely to try another spirit from a distillery that offers direct shipping, and 83% said they would buy from that distillery more often. Another 83% said they would recommend that distillery to friends or family, and 85% said they would think more positively of a distillery that offers direct purchasing.

The regulatory picture remains unsettled. California, one of the country’s largest beverage alcohol markets, began allowing DtC spirits shipping under AB 1246 on January 1. The report said 43 distilleries had obtained the required licenses by June. But the law is scheduled to expire on December 31, and Sovos ShipCompliant said no extension was enacted during the legislative session. If that sunset takes effect, the number of states allowing the practice would fall.

The report identified several other states as places to watch as lawmakers consider the issue, including Missouri, Hawaii, South Dakota and Iowa. Those debates are likely to draw attention from distillers, retailers and regulators because shipping laws affect not only consumer access but also licensing, tax collection, age verification and enforcement. Supporters of expansion have argued that a regulated DtC system can widen legal access to products that consumers cannot easily find in local stores. Critics in many states have historically raised concerns about public safety, underage access and the impact on the traditional three-tier alcohol distribution system.

Because the new findings come from a poll commissioned by groups that support broader DtC access, they are likely to be used as part of an advocacy effort in statehouses. Still, the underlying numbers offer one of the clearest recent snapshots of consumer sentiment in a narrow but politically active corner of alcohol policy, especially as craft distillers look for ways to grow beyond tasting rooms and limited wholesale distribution.

The Harris Poll said it conducted the survey online in the United States from August 17 to August 19 among 2,001 adults age 21 and older. That total included 741 people who drink craft spirits or liquor at least once a month. The survey’s stated sampling precision was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for adults 21 and older and plus or minus 4.1 percentage points for monthly craft spirits drinkers, both at a 95% confidence level.