My curiousity piqued, I looked up the regulations concerning bringing alcohol on board. At 49 CFR 175(a)(17), the following is cited as exempt from the ban on carrying hazardous substances:

(17) Alcoholic beverages containing:
(i) Not more than 24% alcohol by volume; or
(ii) More than 24% and not more than 70% alcohol by volume when in
retail packagings not exceeding 5 liters (1.3 gallons) carried by a crew
member or passenger in checked or carry-on baggage, with a total net
quantity per person of 5 liters (1.3 gallons) for such beverages.


Thus, there is no ban or limit on beer or wine (other than those imposed by state or local authority, or by the airline), as neither (except a seriously fortified wine) has an alcohol content as high as 24 percent. You can bring it, but you can't pour it yourself, as another regulation requires that it be poured by a member of the flight crew. Also note that there is no requirement it be in its original container.

Alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic content greater than 70 percent are not permitted.

Alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic content between 24 and 70 percent can be carried, up to 5 liters, but must be in their retail packaging, but the regulation is silent as to whether the retail packaging can have been opened.

Spygirl, one question that had us laughing. What is a person "who is imminently qualified to speak"? Someone who is about to graduate from screener school?

I've carried open botlles of alcohol (original containers) in both the US and Canada many times as I used to travel for business frequently on multi-stop trips. 2 days here, 1 day there, 4 days somewhere else and I always like to have a nightcap or something to offer a colleague. I've never once had any of this confiscated. Usually security opens the top and sniffs to verify that indeed it's booze and not gasoline. The worst that has happened is having security insist that I take a drink of Scotch out of the bottle at 6 AM on one trip !!!

clevelandbrown: you mean I'm not a criminal? i was ready to turn myself in and do the time.