Flying with Rum

[PR Rum Time]

I’m traveling to Columbia, SC next week for a work conference. I’m interested in purchasing some rums that aren’t available here in Puerto Rico. I was wondering if anybody knows the rules/regulations of flying out of the continental US with a bag full of rum. I surely wouldn't want over $100 of rum to be confiscated by security screeners. I know that you can take as much rum as you would like from Puerto Rico to the Mainland and I hope it's the same story on the way back.

David

[wnissen]

Since it's a U.S. territory, I assume the limits are the same. The one real problem is the TSA regs on quantities. From http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?content=090005198005fed3

Alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol content (140 proof), including 95% grain alcohol and 150 proof rum, are prohibited from carry-on and checked luggage. Up to 5 liters of alcohol with alcoholic content between 24% and 70% are allowed per person as carry-on or checked luggage if packaged in its retail container. Alcoholic beverages with less than 24% alcoholic content are not subject to hazardous materials regulations.

Please check with your airline for any further restrictions.

[PR Rum Time]

Thank you, wnissen, for your research. The five liter allowance should be enough for me until I return to the States again. It's very frustrating living in Puerto Rico, the supposed rum capital of the world, and not being able to find Jamaican, Barbados, Trini, Demera, or Agricole of any kind. I do have access to rums from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, St. Croix, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, and of course the local offerings.

David

[Ed Hamilton]

Thanks wnissen. I travel with rum all the time, and sometimes airline ticket agents, etc, will try to give you a load of crap about what you can carry.

If the bottles are unopened, you shouldn't have any trouble with carry on, especially to Puerto Rico. There is no customs between Puerto Rico and the US mainland, since they have the same tax structure.

My advice is to stock up, but like wnissen suggests, stay away from the overproofs to avoid problems.

[Jason Perlow]

I've travelled with cases of alcohol before, coming from the Caribbean (Jamaica and St. Maarten, pre and post 9/11) and from Canada (Post 9/11) and all they cared about was passing it thru the X-Ray machine to see if there was any explosives or dangerous materials. They could care less about how much rum it was. Customs didn't even ask.

[PR Rum Time]

Thanks guys. I'm flying back to Puerto Rico today. I picked up four bottles that I don't have access to in PR. Pampero Anaversario, Appleton Extra, Rhum Barbancourt, and Rhum St. James. (I hope I spelled those right) I printed out the web page from the TSA just in case the security screeners try to pull anything.

David