Transporting Beer on Airplane

I wanted to see if you guys think there would be any issues with transporting a newly bottled beer on an airplane. I am heading home for Christmas and would like to take a couple of bottles to my folks' house and save for bum-rushing the security line, I'll have to place the beers in checked bags.

Thanks for the help.

Mike

None at all. Wrap it securely, and make sure it's well padded. Biggest concern would be some low-paid screener deciding to have a liquid lunch on you.

I'll bottle a couple of bottles of vinegar to mix things up a bit if they decide to get ambitious.

Thanks for the help.

I typically wrap them up really well, usually with bubble wrap, and then put the bottles into some sort of ziploc container in case of breakage. Then I pack them up tight between my clothes for extra protection. So far I have not had a bottle break on me during travel.

Get some UPS Express Pad pack envelopes. Cut off the sticky part. Put the bottle in, roll it up, secure with masking tape and put in your suitcase. Check your bag.

Save the bags for bringing back beer from your trip.

You can get these bubble envelopes from any UPS Store for free.

I pack it this way all the time and have never had a problem with a broken bottle or the airline.

Every year I bring back four or five bottles of Tequila from Mexico in my checked baggage and have never had any problem with breakage. HOWEVER! Make very sure you wrap and pad them well separate from each other. The airlines employ gorillas to handle all baggage, so pad well with your clothes.

I flew some homebrew out to boston safely and came back to utah with founder's breakfast stout and arrogant bastard, all A ok!

Five years ago I was in Burlington VT For my 21st birth day. I tried bringing two growlers back from my favorite brewery (Magic Hat) onto the plane in a backpack (stupid I know, but come on I love beer).

Not only would they not let me take it on, they wouldn't let me drink a little bit of it before I had to hand it over! If anything I wanted to keep the growlers.

i know i'm resurrecting a dead thread here but I was just wondering if anyone has flown with beer checked on the plane more recently. Just wondering if the airlines have been any more picky than normal.
I'm flying home next week and thats right about when the Graff is done and also my Sierra Nevada Clone should be well aged.

No issues. I've traveled with wine and beer over the last year. Never a problem. You can't carry it on, but in checked luggage or a separate box you're fine.

+1 to what kilted brewer said.

No legal issues as long as you put the bottles in checked luggage. I even checked a case of wine last month, as my 2nd luggage. No problems.

When we flew to visit our daughter in August, I put six 12 oz. standard longnecks in my checked bag. They were wrapped in bubble wrap & packing tape. They were in a suitcase that was pretty fully packed with clothes otherwise, so they didn't rattle around. Made it there with no trouble, and the beer was in good shape when we drank it several days later.

And another question: "Just wondering if the airlines have been any more picky than normal."

All you have to do is check tsa.gov, and it states, specifically and in detail how "picky" they're being. Like, now. There is no "-more picky than normal." They have standards & regulations, and it's like dealing with any other bureaucracy. Just do it- you don't have a choice, no point in making things more difficult. Me, I remember 8 years ago, so I don't mind the security. And as with any other government functionaries, and has been pointed out, these people aren't being paid a whole lot of money. Give them static, and you're liable to find (as with any cop, or etc.) that your day just got a whole lot more complicated.

I fly for an airline so I'm not very well versed on aspects of the airlines outside of the cockpit but they do charge for checked bags now. Make sure you check the weight and insure that it is below the max (there are different weights for domestic and international flights). It might end up being cheaper to ship them if you are going to go over the weight limit. That info should be somewhere on the airlines website.

Kilted Brewer said:

No issues. I've traveled with wine and beer over the last year. Never a problem. You can't carry it on, but in checked luggage or a separate box you're fine.

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You CAN carry beer on. IF you buy it someplace AFTER security.Portland OR has a Rogue pub and several wine shops past security and yes you can carry those on.

Passengers are allowed to carry on no more than 5 liters of 48- 140 proof alcohol, and there is no limit on alcohol under 48 proof. Carry on bottle seals cannot be broken and must go through the security check-point.

This is per the current FARs


Your homebrew will be subjet to the TSA's 3oz liquids and gels limit though for carry on, so check it.

I check beer all the time, mainly because I usually bring some home when I visit my parents. I've gotten mixed results - if you pack it in a normal bag they won't ask questions, but technically you are supposed to tell them if you're bringing liquid in glass. This becomes an issue other times when I pack it in a cardboard box (so i'll only have to check one direction to save on fees). I pack it very carefully, double bag with padding, etc, (i've never had a bottle break) but since its in a box they will ask what's in it, and when you say beer then they'll disassemble the whole thing to check how its packed and make sure its well enough sealed. They just don't want any of the beer to leak on someone else's bags if it were to break and then potentially have to reimburse that customer. Basically my advice is to check it within a normal bag so they won't think to ask about it (and potentially not let you on with it if they're having a bad day).

This is interesting. I've been a homebrewer longer than I've had my concealed carry permit, yet I've flown with guns and have never flown with homebrew. I am reading this because I'm about to travel and I want to bring some of my black IPA and my bourbon aged brown ale (north english style as a base, aged with oak chips soaked in wild turkey) along with me to share with a friend. I suppose logic should dictate that if they let you check guns, they should let you check beer (although I can understand them being more anal with the guns than with beer.) Thanks for the info from all of you, if there's room in the bag, I'm going to bring some along now.

Did it again this June. Put a couple of 22 oz. bombers of Apfelwein in a checked bag & took them to Colorado. I didn't say crap to anyone, and there were no issues. It is always easier to obtain forgiveness than permission.

This is legal. Not a problem at all. I have flown beer home 3-4 times and only this last time did I have a bottle break. It was the least prepared trip I had taken. I only had socks and clothes to wrap
them in and lost a bottle of Avery Maharaja to breakage. The Pliny bottles and other 2 Maharaja bottles were safe and sound. Bubble wrap and zip locks are the way to go for sure

bull8042 said:

Every year I bring back four or five bottles of Tequila from Mexico in my checked baggage and have never had any problem with breakage. HOWEVER! Make very sure you wrap and pad them well separate from each other. The airlines employ gorillas to handle all baggage, so pad well with your clothes.

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Having been one of those low paid gorillas, I will attest to this. If you check anything breakable, regardless of what it is, wrap it up as securely as you can. Also, the heavier your checked bag, the worse it is treated. You don't want your homebrew to be entered into a baggage chucking for distance competition fo you? Samsonite luggage doesnt have that guarantee against breakage for no reason. Fragile also appears to be a challenge, not a warning.

I think we've pretty clearly covered that we can fly with homebrew, but how does this factor in with flying internationally, and only being allowed to take x amount of alcohol in with you? I always assumed it was for purchased alcohol, so the gov't doesn't lose out on tax's...but you can't sell your home brew, so it has no monetary value, thus isn't taxable? 15% tax on $0.00 is still 0.

Anyway, if i am already bringing in 1L of spirits, can I fly internationally and bring in home brew on the same flight as well?

Nescent said:

I think we've pretty clearly covered that we can fly with homebrew, but how does this factor in with flying internationally, and only being allowed to take x amount of alcohol in with you? I always assumed it was for purchased alcohol, so the gov't doesn't lose out on tax's...but you can't sell your home brew, so it has no monetary value, thus isn't taxable? 15% tax on $0.00 is still 0.

Anyway, if i am already bringing in 1L of spirits, can I fly internationally and bring in home brew on the same flight as well?

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Everything is taxed. Even if you cant resell it...
Homebrew is statued by State law and personal consumption. I dont think you can transport it legally anywhere.

I've smuggled a 12-pack of Yuengling from DC to Dallas in nothing but the box it came in surrounded by dirty clothes. But its probably better to be safe than sorry!

Im suffering a major quandry then! I am currently living (and brewing in Australia) I am traveling to Canada for the holiday's and want to bring back a few select beers that I brewed and proud of to share with my father.

Do you envision I would suffer any problems by checking half a dozen bottles? to go from Australia to Canada (via US?) I am checking a 1.14L bottle of rum that is duty free.