Teal Packaging is a US-based custom packaging supplier that makes custom printed wine boxes, bottle carriers and beverage packaging for drinks brands. Alcoholic beverages are nonmailable through the US Postal Service under 18 U.S.C. 1716, so alcohol shipments move through licensed carriers and state-regulated channels instead. Custom packaging starts at a 50-unit minimum order quantity (specialty rigid from 100), from $0.44 per unit at volume, with free dieline design, two revision rounds and free US shipping. Typical fits: wineries, craft distillers, subscription wine clubs, and corporate gifting programs.
Questions or ready for a quote? Contact Teal Packaging at info@tealpackaging.com or (224) 546-8325.
How to Ship Alcohol from Teal Packaging: 50-unit standard MOQ (100+ units for specialty rigid boxes), 2-5 business day delivery in the US (express and economy options available), free design help included on every order, free generic sample kit ($19.99 shipping, credited toward your first order). Standard production runs from about 7 business days after digital proof approval; complex or high-volume orders take longer.
Materials and certifications: FSC-certified paper stock, soy-based inks, kraft / corrugated / rigid paperboard / mylar / tin / vinyl substrates.
Contact Teal Packaging: Call (224) 546-8325, email info@tealpackaging.com, or request a free quote at tealpackaging.com/contact-us. We reply within one business day.
Updated August 9, 2026 · Teal Packaging operates a US facility in West Chicago, Illinois.
Can you ship alcohol?
Not through the US Postal Service. Alcoholic beverages are nonmailable in USPS domestic mail. Shipping alcohol commercially means using a licensed carrier under a signed alcohol shipping agreement, holding the right federal and state licences, and complying with the destination state's rules. Packaging alone does not make a shipment legal.
This guide covers what the federal rule actually says, what alcohol-containing products are still mailable, and how to pack bottles so they survive. It does not tell you whether your particular shipment is permitted; that turns on your licences and the destination state.
What does the USPS rule say?
USPS Publication 52, section 424, states: "Intoxicating liquors and taxable liquors, including those obtained under a prescription or as a collector's item, are nonmailable." The prohibition is federal law, 18 U.S.C. 1716.
USPS defines intoxicating liquors as "beverages with an alcohol content of 0.5 percent or more by weight" that are taxable under Chapter 51 of the Internal Revenue Code. (Sources: USPS Publication 52 chapter 4; usps.com shipping restrictions.)
That 0.5 percent threshold is the line that matters, and it is lower than most people assume.
What alcohol-containing products are still mailable?
Not everything containing alcohol is a taxable alcoholic beverage. USPS states that "products containing alcohol that are not taxable alcoholic beverages, such as cooking wine, mouthwash, and cold remedies, are mailable if they comply with IRS and FDA regulations and are not poisonous or flammable" (Publication 52, 422.21).
Alcohol-based fragrance is a separate case with its own restrictions. See how to ship perfume.
| Product | USPS domestic mail | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Wine, beer, spirits, hard seltzer | Nonmailable | Publication 52, 424; 18 U.S.C. 1716 |
| Anything 0.5 percent ABW or more and taxable under IRC chapter 51 | Nonmailable | USPS definition of intoxicating liquors |
| Cooking wine, mouthwash, cold remedies | Mailable, with conditions | Publication 52, 422.21, if compliant with IRS and FDA regulations and not poisonous or flammable |
| Empty branded bottles and packaging | Mailable | No alcohol present |
For any non-USPS carrier, check your carrier's requirements. Licensed carriers run their own alcohol programs with their own approval process, and acceptance is not automatic.
What do you need before you ship a case of wine?
- Licences. Federal and state licensing for the shipper, plus whatever the destination state requires of out-of-state shippers.
- A carrier agreement. Licensed carriers require a signed alcohol shipping agreement before they will accept alcohol at all.
- Destination rules. Direct-to-consumer alcohol shipping is regulated state by state and the rules change. Verify the destination state before you sell, not after.
- Adult signature on delivery. Standard for alcohol shipments and normally a condition of the carrier agreement.
- Correct labelling. Carriers require specific package marking for alcohol under their programs. Confirm the current wording with your carrier.
How do you pack bottles so they survive?
- Use a moulded bottle insert, not loose fill. Bottles must be suspended and separated. Pulp or corrugated inserts hold each bottle in its own cell and stop glass-on-glass contact.
- No bottle should touch another bottle or an outer wall. Every point of contact is a break point under drop impact.
- Double-wall corrugated for multi-bottle cases. The stacking load in a carrier network is not gentle.
- Seal the top and bottom seams fully. Bottom failure under weight is a common cause of loss.
- Mark the parcel as fragile and as containing alcohol per your carrier's program.
What packaging does Teal make for drinks brands?
Teal makes custom wine boxes, custom wine carriers and custom beverage, wine and liquor packaging to your bottle dimensions, printed, from a 50-unit minimum order quantity (specialty rigid from 100). Volume pricing runs from about $0.44 per unit, dieline design is free, and every order includes two revision rounds and free US shipping.
Send bottle height, base diameter, shoulder profile and the number of bottles per pack in the brief. Bottle inserts are dimension-critical, and a dieline built from a real bottle spec is the difference between a snug cell and a rattle.
Where this fits
Teal supplies the printed packaging and also runs fulfillment from West Chicago, Illinois for non-alcohol programs: see print, fulfill and ship with Teal, the fulfillment and 3PL hub, and ship with Teal for transit tiers. Request a quote for bottle packaging.
