Packaging format
Wholesale Beer in Bottles
Glass remains the default export format for most international lager and speciality brands, and the one where specification detail matters most.
Beer Bottles in international trade
Bottled beer carries the heaviest packaging weight per litre of any format, which is why a bottled load reaches a container payload limit long before it fills the floor. Planning a bottled shipment is therefore a weight calculation first and a volume calculation second — the container planner on this site reports whichever constraint binds first rather than assuming a fixed pallet count.
The returnable/non-returnable distinction is the specification most often missed at enquiry stage. Returnable glass carries deposit and pool obligations that generally make it unsuitable for export outside the market it circulates in; non-returnable glass is the normal export specification. Where a brand is produced in both, the two are different SKUs with different costs, and we confirm which applies against the destination before quoting.
Case configuration varies by brand and by production origin for the same brand. Rather than assume a standard, every case count shown in the catalogue is recorded against the specific SKU it belongs to.
Brands available in beer bottles286
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Trade questions
Can you supply returnable and non-returnable bottles?
Non-returnable glass is the standard export specification and what we quote unless a returnable specification is requested and available for the destination. Returnable glass carries deposit and container-pool obligations that usually make it impractical outside its home market. Where both exist for a brand, they are separate SKUs and the applicable one is confirmed at quotation.
How many cases of bottled beer fit in a container?
It depends on the case configuration, pallet footprint, stacking height and gross weight of the specific SKU, and bottled loads normally reach the payload weight limit before the floor is full. We calculate it from the recorded pallet configuration for the lines you select rather than applying a single figure to every load — the mixed container builder shows the working.
Is bottled beer suitable for long-haul export?
Yes, and it is the most commonly exported format. The practical considerations are payload weight, adequate pallet stabilisation and, for long transit times, the remaining shelf life at the point of loading. Shelf life on arrival is confirmed per shipment rather than promised in advance.
Product availability is subject to stock, destination, packaging specification, applicable trademark rights and territorial distribution restrictions.