How Much Alcohol Can I Bring Back from Mexico?
You’re so excited to be planning your trip to Mexico -- figuring out what you’re going to do when, where you’re going to stay, and what you need to bring with you. You’re stoked that you’ll get to meet the men and women who make heritage agave spirits and to be able to drink those spirits where they’re made, see the whole process, and purchase bottles directly from them. Which inevitably leads to the question … how much alcohol can you bring back? Listen to this episode of Agave Road Trip for the straight scoop!
This episode of Agave Road Trip is brought to your courtesy of mezcalreviews.com. Mezcalreviews.com is the largest online database of mezcal reviews — find your next copita at mezcalreviews.com!
Agave Road Trip is a podcast that helps gringo bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. It’s hosted by Lou Bank and Chava Periban.
Know your limits! If you are coming into the USA from a foreign country (including but not limited to Mexico), there is no federal restriction to how much alcohol you can bring with you for personal use. But limits are set by each state individually. Know the laws of your state (and if you have a stopover, the laws of the state in which you are re-entering the USA) before you leave.
Each person is allowed one liter duty-free. You need to pay duties on any additional liters you bring in. This is a page from the duties book that was shared with me by customs agents several years ago. Rates may have changed since, but this will at least give you a good starting point.
The FAA and individual airlines restrict passengers to five liters max in their checked luggage. This is rarely enforced, but can be. So, you know, be warned — anything past five liters could be confiscated by your airline.
Declare what you are bringing in. Customs agents oversee some serious shit, incuding human trafficking and drug trafficking. Don’t make them waste their time on your booze collection. Be upfront and honest about what you have. Build a spreadsheet like this one that includes the math as to how much duty you owe. Make life easy on them so they can spend more time on real crimes.
Storing agave spirits in plastic bottles for an extended amount of time will absolutely alter the flavor. But for a few days to transport them back home? All good. Just make sure they are sturdy and clean and food-grade. My preference is Ciel bottles -- they have one extra row on the screw top for an extra-secure closure. And the 1.5-liter size fits perfectly the width of the standard carry-on bag -- which you wouldn’t carry on, of course. You’d check it. You’ll be able to fit 12 to 14 of these bottles into that bag, which is 18 to 21 liters, which is roughly 18 to 21 kilos, which comes in just below the max weight for a checked bag.
Our friend Alvin Starkman wrote an article on this same subject, in September 2021, with some updated information. Check it out here!
