Question 1

How many bottles of whiskey can I bring back to the United States?

Accepted Answer

Federal duty free allowance is one litre of alcohol per adult aged 21 or over. Beyond that you declare the rest and pay duty, which in practice is small: a few dollars a bottle plus any state tax. Customs officers care that you declare, not that you bought four. The real limit is your state, because a handful of states set their own personal import caps, and your airline's baggage weight.

Question 2

Can I put whiskey in my carry-on?

Accepted Answer

No, not if you bought it in town. Anything over 100ml goes in checked baggage. Bottles bought airside at Dublin or Shannon travel with you in a sealed tamper-evident bag, and Dublin and Shannon both have United States preclearance, so if you connect onward in America that sealed bag can be a problem at the second security screening. Buy in town, wrap it in clothing in the middle of your case, and check it.

Question 3

Will the distillery ship bottles to my home in America?

Accepted Answer

Some will, through a third party licensed importer, and it is expensive: expect shipping and duties to add fifty to a hundred dollars a bottle, and several states cannot receive it at all. For one or two bottles, packing them is cheaper and faster. For a cask purchase or a rare release, let the distillery arrange the shipping and take the cost as part of the price.

Question 4

How do I pack bottles so they survive the flight?

Accepted Answer

Bubble wrap or a padded wine sleeve, then the middle of a hard case, surrounded on all sides by soft clothing, nothing against the shell. We have carried Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare and a Bushmills 21 home this way and never lost one. Screw the cap tight and tape it if the seal is wax.

Irish whiskey, answered

Shipping and flying with bottles

Who can taste, and who has to drive

Tasting etiquette and drinking traditions

Continue planning

Irish whiskey, answered

Shipping and flying with bottles

How many bottles of whiskey can I bring back to the United States?

Can I put whiskey in my carry-on?

Will the distillery ship bottles to my home in America?

How do I pack bottles so they survive the flight?

Who can taste, and who has to drive

What is the legal drinking age in Ireland?

Can we bring our children to a distillery?

Can I drive between distilleries?

Tasting etiquette and drinking traditions

How should I drink Irish whiskey?

What is single pot still, and why does it matter here?

Is it rude to ask for ice, or for a mixer?

What is a proper Irish coffee, and where do I get one?

What are the drinking traditions we should know about?

Continue planning