Any Issues Buying Beer Online From Northern Ireland?

squonk

Decided to buy a selection box from McCrackens in NI. Just wondering will it cause me some customs hassle though? Technically it’s the sage as ordering from mainland UK but they’re kind of in and out of the EU. I wouldn’t mind supporting NI breweries but don’t want to attract the attention if customs either!!

hightide

No Customs between The north and us, at least that was the deal . As long as it was NI produce.

squonk

Yeah. NI brewery from Armagh.

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120509474#Comment_120509474

I'm pretty sure that doesn't apply to tobacco, fuel or alcohol.

Even before Brexit, alcohol from the North was liable for duty.

mattser

3,2,1...

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120510179#Comment_120510179

Well of course it doesn't!

Excise duty applies to the relevant goods regardless of whether they were produced within the State or imported into it. We don't have too many oil wells or perfumeries (!) here but we do have plenty of breweries and distilleries and Revenue keep a close eye on 'em.

squonk

Update on this. My order arrived via courtier earlier today. I rang the brewer last week because while I’d been informed the order had shipped earlier in the week though there was no tracking supplied. The brewer was a nice guy and assured me that I should have gotten a tracking note but that the order was dispatched and should be handed over to a courier in the republic by the NI courtier. I raised the possible issue of maybe it was detained by customs and he assured me there hadn’t been any issues previously as the goods originated in Northern Ireland.

Now I’m looking forward to trying out one of the beers later.

In the end it worked out as about €101 for 27 assorted beers and a glass and beermatt. Not really that much cheaper than ordering something here in the republic so I’d have been a bit miffed if I’d have been asked for additional VAT and excise.

Quackster

Yeah, it's basically a lottery.

Imports of alcohol from NI are liable for excise duty the same as from any other foreign jurisdiction (Brexit is irrelevant) and unless the vendor has taken care of this at source, there's a not insubstantial risk your package will be stopped and you'll be invoiced for the appropriate excise (and VAT on the excise).

It may be worth the risk if it's to get something you can't source locally but, if it's just to save a few bob, maybe not.

squonk

Yeah it didn’t really sage me a few bob so maybe tge vendor took care of tge due taxes but I’d doubt it. Glad I tried it but wouldn’t chance it again. The sad thing really is that I wanted to try out what brewers up north were doing. The beer I got is nice. They were a good bunch to deal with also. It’s a shame there isn’t a facility to allow us in tge republic to order beer from NI where it’s produced there. I think generally there’s a desire to build closer ties with NI so even a facility to order 5L of beer a few times a year where it’s produced up north would be good.

irish_goat

I think most of the better breweries are now exporting to the south so you're not going to be missing a lot. The amount of beer coming the opposite direction isn't great. Kinnegar by far the most common brand you'll see from the south (not that I am complaining). Hope, Rascals and O'Haras would be the main ones you'd see otherwise.

squonk

Thanks @irish_goat . Sounds like you’re north of the border. Just wondering what breweries you’d recommend looking out for from that part of the world?

irish_goat

Based in Belfast yeah. Bullhouse taproom is my new local and been enjoying their beers. Heaney would probably be my favourite of the northern breweries, very consistent core range of solid everyday drinking beers. Their specials are quite good too. Mourne Mountains and Lacada usually worth a go as well.

Prices are funny though, you can be paying upwards of a £1-£1.50 more per can for a standard 5% IPA versus the likes of Kinnegar.

Hotblack Desiato

Dunnes used to have "Belfast Lager", not sure who brewed it, might have been Castle Brewing or something like that. It was pretty good but it just disappeared a few years ago never to be seen down here again, did you ever hear of it and is it still around?

My local Molloys has a few from Heaney, haven't got round to trying them yet.

squonk

good to hear good things about Heaney. I was always out off by their website when I looked at it. It’s very slick and big in on marketing, or that’s the way it feels to me. As I hadn’t encountered the beers in the wild I was kind of afraid they might not be too good but I’m happy to hear done good recommendations for them.

irish_goat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120608419#Comment_120608419

That's made by Whitewater. Still available but not that common. They seem to be pushing their Helles more so. Distributed by C&C so you'd see it or Maggies Leap IPA in quite a few of their tied pubs up here.