Can you bring alcohol on a plane? Yes, if you do so properly

Whether it's the bright, herby profile of Chartreuse that brings you back to an Alpine summer, or a Cabernet that tastes like autumn in Napa Valley, regional wines and liquors can double as some of the best souvenirs.

If you're about to fly home with your latest purchase, know that you can, in fact, pack alcohol in your luggage, but with a few provisions. For travelers passing through TSA in the United States, the rule is as follows: “Alcoholic beverages with more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger and must be in unopened retail packaging,” However, anything with an ABV at 24% or under—such as wine and beer—is not subject to the same limitations, meaning you can pack your craft brew haul with abandon.

But don't open the Champagne just yet, there's still plenty that can go wrong. Whether it's that very bottle of bubbly that prematurely pops under pressure, or a prized Bordeaux that tie-dyes your wardrobe, making sure all your precious cargo makes it home safely requires some strategy. Below, our best tips for how to travel with alcohol on a plane.

This story has been updated since its original publish date.

Do not carry sparkling or carbonated drinks in checked luggage

You're technically allowed to check fizzy drinks, but proceed with extreme caution. While modern cargo holds are pressurized, meaning a properly sealed Champagne bottle shouldn't spontaneously burst, rough baggage handling is another story. Assume your checked bag will get tossed like a caber. One hard knock turns your suitcase into a sticky supernova. If you insist on transporting that special sparkling wine, double-protect it: first in a sealed plastic bag, then nestled firmly in your case's center with plenty of padding. Some travelers swear by putting Champagne in a carry-on (purchased at duty-free after security) to keep it under their watchful eye. Buying at duty-free shops bypasses the 100 mL liquid limit, but just remember, if you have a connecting flight, you’ll need to keep bottles in their sealed tamper-evident bags with receipts.

Do wrap bottles in protective materials

While a sweater or jeans works in a pinch, padded wine sleeves or bubble-wrap sheets will be your best friend. Wine sleeves in particular are designed with targeted shock absorption and a leak-proof seal to ensure that even if a cork comes loose or a crack appears, it all stays inside. For a happy medium between the specialized sleeve and risking your favorite sweater for the flight, slide the bottle into a thick sock, wrap it, then quarantine the bundle in a zip-top bag to contain leaks. Keep retail packaging when you can; those cardboard tubes act as additional armor. In wine regions like California, shops often provide foam inserts. Use them! In small European cellars, you may get nothing but a smile, so pack lightweight sleeves or bubble wrap before flying out. Short on supplies? Get crafty. An inflatable water wing around a bottle becomes an air cushion; a padded laptop sleeve doubles as a shock absorber. Pack glass dead center in your suitcase, surrounded by clothes on all sides, with no hard objects adjacent.

If you check bottles often, a proper kit is worth the investment: WineSkin-style sleeves or a hard-sided wine suitcase like VinGardeValise with foam for six or 12 bottles lets you move a case safely. What about those trendy pre-batched cocktails? As Tyson Buhler, National F&B Director at Gin & Luck (Death & Co), advises, "Treat a bottled cocktail the same way you'd pack wine or a spirit. Most are shelf-stable, so your job is making sure the liquid arrives in the bottle, not in your clothes."

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Do not put partially consumed bottles in your checked luggage

While we'd hate to see that last half-bottle of limoncello from Capri go to waste, airlines and regulators won't have any sympathy for your attachment issues: Open bottles are a hard no from both the TSA and FAA. Alcohol in checked bags must be in unopened retail packaging, meaning factory-sealed. Crack a duty-free bottle and it loses its carry-on privilege too. While you could decant 100 mL into a travel container for your liquids bag, we advise against it as the spirit will taste tired on arrival. Better to finish it or buy fresh at home.

And remember, you can't drink your own booze on board. FAA regulations permit only airline-served drinks in flight. As Buhler notes, cherish your souvenir as a reminder of your trip when you’re settled back home: "It's less about the product and more about the memory you're bringing back. A cocktail from a standout hotel bar is unique to that place."

Do not pack alcohol over 140 proof (70% ABV)

Ultra-high-proof booze doesn’t fly. Anything over 70% ABV (140 proof) is classified as hazardous due to its high flammability and is banned from both carry-on and checked bags. That includes 151-proof rum, grain alcohol like Everclear, and the Balkan “rocket fuel” rakija your cousin swears is medicine. Check the label: If it tops 70%, leave it, ship it professionally (hazmat rules apply), or ask the seller to send it. Most spirits clear the bar, but know that some rums, absinthes, and grain alcohols are outliers.

Do not forget about customs and local laws

Clearing customs is the other half of traveling with bottles. In the US, you get one liter duty-free; bring more for personal use, but declare it and expect modest duty on the excess. Coming into the EU from outside the bloc: four liters of still wine, 16 liters of beer, and one liter of spirits over 22% ABV.

You may be wondering about those tariffs bouncing between Washington and Brussels, specifically. A 2025 framework sets a 15% ceiling on certain EU goods entering the US, with wine and spirits still in the gray zone. While how much you're allowed to bring in and out hasn't changed, how much you pay for your booze might. The EU extended its suspension of retaliatory tariffs on US spirits through August 6, 2026, which buys you a little more time to stock up on some Kentucky bourbon to bring back home.

Some destinations ban alcohol outright: The Maldives confiscates it on arrival, including any bought from duty-free shops or during a layover; Saudi Arabia and Kuwait prohibit imports, and the countries' national airlines, such as Riyadh Air or Kuwait Airways, are “dry” as well, with no alcohol served on any of their flights; the UAE permits up to four liters of spirits and wines or two cartons of beer (for a total of 48 cans of 355 mL cans). Travelers must choose only one of the allowances, meaning you can't bring a carton of beer plus a bottle of wine with you. Check exact allowances before flying. Mind layovers too, as duty-free survives only if it stays sealed with the receipt.

Do wait 48 hours before opening

You've completed your odyssey, and it feels like just the occasion to crack open your bottle, but hold on just a little longer. Like you, your liquor needs a couple of days to recover from the long journey. Temperature fluctuations, pressure changes, and environmental shifts give wine travel shock. Thankfully, these lead to no permanent damage, but it can make your wine taste flat immediately after landing. Let wine rest 48 hours before opening, keeping bottles upright so sediment can settle. This is especially important for older or delicate wines.

Spirits react to travel similarly. Lalo Gonzalez, co-founder and maestro tequilero of LALO Tequila, offers reassurance: "All 100% blue weber agave tequila is bottled at origin and travels through different climates to reach home bars, so I wouldn't be too concerned about a bottle sitting on the tarmac, as long as it's properly sealed. If your bottle feels warm after a flight, just let it rest at room temperature while you unpack. Then open it and let it breathe—the aromas will open up beautifully."

One more reason to wait: after air travel, you're likely dehydrated with dulled taste buds from dry airplane air. Waiting until you're back to normal hydration gives you a better experience with that special drink. So unpack, relax, and let that wine nap before your celebratory toast.