Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS "ORVAL DAY"? Orval Day is a one-day annual recognition and celebration of this wonderful Belgian Trappist Ale. The next Orval Day is scheduled for Saturday, March 20, 2021. #OrvalDay

DO YOUR BEERS CONTAIN GMO INGREDIENTS? No. All of our beers are free of GMO ingredients.

WHY AREN'T SOME OF YOUR IMPORT BRANDS AVAILABLE IN MY STATE? In most cases this is due to specific state regulations which may prohibit the sale of products of certain alcohol content, or certain size packages.

CAN I BUY YOUR BEER DIRECTLY FROM YOU? No. Several regulations prohibit us from selling beer directly to consumers. We have distributors throughout the United States and Canada who deliver to licensed bars, restaurants, and stores; please use our Find Our Beer feature to find a US retailer near you.

CAN YOU IMPORT A FEW CASES OF XYZ BEER FOR ME? Any beer imported to the United States is subject to several label registration and licensing requirements. Further, we are not allowed to sell beer directly to consumers. Therefore it unfortunately is not possible for us to meet these requests.

CAN I BUY BREWERY GLASSWARE OR WEARABLES? Sorry, but we don't sell brewery glassware or wearables. Check our News & Events page to see if there is an event near you - where legal, you may be able to attend a promotion and take home a glass or a shirt.

WHY ARE YOU CALLED MERCHANT DU VIN? DO YOU SELL WINE? Prior to creating Merchant du Vin our founder had been among the country's leading wine importers and marketers. He originally envisioned importing both beer and wine under the MdV label and in fact did import some wine in the late 1970s. However, for almost all of our forty-year history we have been exclusively an importer of the world's finest beers. We added Samuel Smith's Organic Cider to our portfolio in 2007 and Smith's Organic Perry - sparkling pear cider - in 2017.

CAN I GET A COASTER/LABEL OF MY FAVORITE BEER FROM YOU? Though these items are not always in stock, we will try to accommodate all requests. However, due to the volume of requests we receive, it may take us several weeks. To expedite the process please send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Also please note that we can send labels or coasters only to US addresses.

WHAT IS A TRAPPIST BEER? Trappist beers come from one of the world's 12 Trappist breweries. Trappist beers meet these criteria: (1) They are produced at a brewery within the walls of a monastery of the Cistercian order ("Trappist" for short). (2) The brewery is owned by the monastery, and is operated following "business practices proper to a monastic way of life." (3) After expenses, the brewery profits go to charity.
Merchant du Vin is the US importer for four Trappist breweries: Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, and Zundert.
"Trappist" is a specific appellation, not a beer style - Trappist beers come in a range of styles - so the phrase "Trappist-style" is always incorrect. There is more information on the International Trappist Association website.

ARE YOUR BEERS VEGAN? All of our beers except three are Vegan, meaning they are free of any animal products or involvement with animal products. Our two Traquair House beers and one Sam Smith beer, Yorkshire Stingo, are not Vegan.

I AM SEEKING A DONATION TO A CHARITY OR EVENT THAT BENEFITS A CHARITY - WILL MERCHANT DU VIN MAKE A DONATION? We'll consider your request, but we ask you to read this 484 KB .pdf and follow the procedures.