Ordering Alcohol Online

Shopping and buying something online is now convenient, thanks to technology. You can place an order for everything you need or want and have it delivered to your doorstep.

However, alcohol is a different story – there are some rules to online buying in particular places, such as Virginia.

Can you order alcohol in Virginia? It was just recently that Virginia allowed distillers to ship alcohol straight to customers. However, there are rules when purchasing these beverages online. Distillers can only ship up to two cases of beer per month for consumer consumption.

Many people, especially those unfamiliar with the law, think purchasing alcohol online in Virginia is easy. We will discuss the rest of the rules and how to order online in Virginia in this post.

The Law

Residents of Virginia are subject to the state’s alcohol regulations. They also apply to those who visit the site. It may have laws that differ from those in other states. Unfortunately, a lack of legal knowledge is not a legal defense.

The rules in Virginia are comparable to those in the District, but they are not identical. Fortunately, they offer a user-friendly website with all of the necessary information.

If you’re moving to Virginia, you can carry your liquor with you as long as you complete the permit form.

You cannot bring alcoholic beverages more than one gallon if the origin is from outside the Commonwealth. This act is to save for shipments to the commission or its licensees.

As you learned from your metric conversions, 1 gallon equals a little under 4 liters of alcohol. So, if you want to stay under Virginia’s liquor laws, you’ll have to buy by the bottle instead. Limit yourself to under five 750ml bottles.

A regulation from 2003 separates and protects wine and beer. It permits you to buy up to two cases of wine or two cases of beer per month for personal consumption and not for resale.

So you can request a special delivery of beer or wine for an event. However, remember that it’s for personal consumption, including visitors, and not for resale.

Here are the rules for ordering alcohol in Virginia:

Each month, no distiller may sell more than six bottles of spirits or two cases of low-alcohol beverage coolers to any single customer or licensee.
The maximum size of a bottle of alcohol that can be shipped is 1.75 liters.
The distiller must ensure that the receiver is over the age of 21.
A certified common carrier must make the direct shipment.
Delivery requires the signature of a person who is at least 21 years old.

This addition to the Distillery Store Agreement will remain in effect for as long as the state recognizes ABC stores as essential businesses.

Changes made by ABC in the past affecting a distillery’s capacity to deliver products directly to customers are permanent.

It includes two things:

Delivering items to consumers who are seated in their automobiles on the distillery’s grounds or in the parking lot,
Delivering products via distillery personnel or third-party services like Grubhub and UberEats.

How Can You Order Alcohol Online?

Only Virginia’s approved distributors, sometimes known as the ABC shops, can sell alcohol online. You can then review their price list and request an order catalog.

However, the state does not have access to all alcoholic beverages. You can also order outside the premises if you need something that isn’t available in the store.

More than 175 Virginia-made spirits are available at Virginia ABC. Artisan distillers in Virginia have award-winning small-batch bourbons, organic whiskies, and even gluten-free vodkas.

Many distilleries in Virginia also meet the requirements to open a distillery store and offer their products.

Silverback Spirits Distillery
Franklin County Distilleries
MurLarkey Distillery Spirits Distillery
Cape Charles Distillery
Ragged Branch
Spirit Lab Distilling
Vitae Spirits Distillery
Bondurant Brothers Distillery
Belmont Farms Distillery
Vineyards and Distillery
Three Brothers Distillery
Greenspun Distillery
Falls Church Distillery
Five Mile Mountain Distillery
A. Smith Bowman Distillery
Springfield Distillery
Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co.
Dida’s Distillery
Virginia Distillery Company
River Hill Distillery
Hill Top Distillery
KO Distilling
Filibuster Distillery
Mount Defiance Cidery and Distillery
Mount Vernon Distillery
Devils Backbone Distilling Co.
News Ironclad Distillery
Reverend Spirits
Three Crosses Distillery Co
Catoctin Creek Distillery
Belle Isle Craft Spirits
Cirrus Distillery
James River Distillery
Parched Group, LLC
Reservoir Distillery
Trial & Error
Virago Spirits
Twin Creeks Distillery
Mountain View Brewing LLC
Davis Valley Distillery
Blue Sky Distillery
Copper Fox Distillery
Chesapeake Bay Distillery
Tarnished Truth Distilling Company
8 Shires Coloniale Distillery
Copper Fox Distillery

Other Laws For Alcohol Buying And Selling In Virginia

Minimum Age Laws

Young individuals frequently seek part-time employment. The hospitality sector employs many of them. Some jobs may entail serving or selling alcoholic beverages. Here’s a list of the available products in the ABC stores:

Adults aged 18 and over are permitted to serve in establishments selling alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises. To work as a bartender, they must be at least 21 years old.

However, adults under the age of 21 can, can sell or serve beer for on-premises consumption. But they can only do so at a beer-only establishment. In a wine-only establishment, they may also sell or serve wine for on-premises consumption.

There is no minimum legal age in Virginia for selling alcohol in a venue for off-site consumption. However, another employee who is at least 21 years old must also be present.

Virginia’s alcohol regulations allow anybody under the age of 21 to consume alcohol in a private residence. They also allow persons under the age of 21 to consume alcohol when visiting others’ homes.

The presence of a spouse, parent, or guardian is required. A parent, guardian, or spouse must be 21 years old or older.

Buying Alcohol

Those under 21 cannot purchase alcohol. Some try to present a fake ID, but this is illegal. A fine of up to $2,500 and/or a year in prison can be imposed for using a fraudulent one.

It’s either a $500 fine or 50 hours of community service at the very least. The state has the authority to revoke the driver’s license for up to a year.

Virginia’s alcohol restrictions are strict. Possessing alcohol under 21, even if you are an adult, carries a harsh penalty. A fine of up to $2,500 is possible, as well as a year in prison.

It’s either a $500 fine or 50 hours of community service at the very least. In addition, the court will suspend your driver’s license for at least six months. The court can also order alcohol misuse education, counseling, or rehabilitation.

It is prohibited to provide alcohol to anyone under 21, but this law has an exception. People under the age of 21 can buy beer if they have a parent or spouse who is 21 or older. The penalty is a maximum of 12 months in prison and/or a $2,500 fine.

Anyone who consumes alcoholic beverages in a public location is breaking the law. Streets, parks, and parking lots all fall under this category.

Selling Alcohol

Courts can charge a clerk or server up to $2,500 if they offer alcohol to someone under 21. That, and/or a sentence of up to one year in prison.

Courts can also fine the establishment up to $2,000 for a first-time offense. A first infraction can potentially revoke the alcohol license.

In Virginia, bars are not allowed. Only restaurants are permitted to serve alcohol to patrons on the premises.

For the sale of all distilled spirits, Virginia has an alcohol monopoly. Whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, bourbon, and other spirits fall within this category. As a result, every liquor store is owned and operated by the state government.

For the sale of spirits, the counties of Patrick, Craig, Floyd, Grayson, Bland, Buchanan, Charlotte, Highland, Lee, and Russell are dry. They allow the selling of beer and wine.

Standard Drinks

Spirits, according to popular belief, are more alcoholic than beer and wine. Beer, spirits, and wine, on the other hand, all have the same quantity of alcohol. It contains 0.6 ounces of pure ethanol. In terms of alcohol, they’re all the same.

Serving alcohol in “novel or unique containers” is prohibited in Virginia. It is standard for deciding what to allow – and fines are vague.

Driving

Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or above is against Virginia alcohol regulations. Driving with 0.02 percent BAC or above is banned for persons under the age of 21. Except for at least three factors, it would be 0.00 percent.

One is that breathalyzers are frequently unreliable and give inaccurate results. Another is that everyone’s bodies manufacture alcohol all the time.

A third factor is that alcohol is present in many medications, meals, and liquids. Fruit juices, for example, can create alcohol if kept in the refrigerator for too long.

As a result, lowering the threshold to 0.02 percent lowers the risk of wrongly convicting innocent drivers.

Conclusion

As the virus spreads, you’ll be able to drown your sorrows with alcohol delivered directly to your door. Distilleries can now ship straight to in-state customers, thanks to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority. But you need to comply with the rules or face penalties.