No Fly List: These Spirits Are Banned on Airplanes
One of the best things about traveling is sampling the food and drinks unique to that region straight from the source. After all, there’s nothing like pairing freshly made, traditional Mexican food with a shot of mezcal or washing down your mofongo with rum in Puerto Rico. For many, the experience is so great that they’re tempted to bring some locally produced spirits home to enjoy further. But if you’re boarding a flight back to the States, you may want to double-check the proof on your bottle of booze first.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), any bottled spirits over 140 proof (70 percent alcohol by volume) are banned on all domestic and international flights, as they are considered combustible liquids. The rule applies to all spirits regardless of category and regardless of where the bottle is stored, even if it’s in a checked bag. So, if you were planning on stashing some Bacardí 151 in your suitcase before leaving San Juan, you’re out of luck.
The good news: Not all booze is banned on planes. In checked bags, passengers can transport up to 5 liters (approximately six 750-milliliter bottles) of alcohol between 24 and 70 percent ABV. As for products bottled below 24 percent ABV, passengers are free to pack as much as they’d like in their checked baggage as they are subject to no restrictions.
Carry-on luggage is a different story. While travelers can bring booze on board, bottles must be less than or equal to 3.4 ounces to remain in line with TSA’s regulations. Miniature nippers also must remain sealed in a clear, quart-sized bag, so don’t think about cracking one open mid-flight or you could be staring down a $40,000 fine.
Some producers, like Grenada’s River Antoine Estate Rum Distillery, have created specific versions of their products to satisfy demand in the export market. Rivers Royale Grenadian Rum, traditionally bottled at 75 percent ABV, has remained relatively unchanged in the brand’s 239-year history and is so popular that the distillery doesn’t even produce enough to fulfill domestic demand. The scarcity has prompted many rum aficionados to scoop up a bottle to bring home, only to be met with disappointment at the airport. Now, the distillery offers a 69-percent-ABV version of the same rum that just makes the cut for safe airline travel. But good luck getting your hands on a bottle — given the high demand for the full-strength product, bottles of the 138-proof version tend to sell out quickly and are difficult to track down.
If you do have a few bottles that meet the criteria outlined by the TSA and wish to bring them on board with you, make sure each stays firmly sealed in unopened retail packaging. Not only will this prevent those in charge from tossing your booze, but it will also make for safer transport. The last thing anyone wants after a long travel day is for their clothes to come out of their suitcase saturated with sticky spirits.
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