What is the legal amount of alcohol that can be brought back into the States? Last time I did so, I think it was about 6 bottles (but that was >10 years ago, it was much higher proof Mt Gay Rum than locally available, and I drank it up pretty quick so a few memory cells died in the process).

Would hate to have to quickly chug several bottles of Manzanillo Sherry just to get through customs

No need to chugalug. I believe you may bring back as much booz as you want if you pay the duty on it.

It's been a while since I bothered with bottles. But I recall that the federal tax (back then, don't know what it is now) wasn't prohibitive, about $1.25 a gallon.
Cantabene

[This message has been edited by cantabene (edited 02-16-2001).]

[This message has been edited by cantabene (edited 02-16-2001).]

Thanks Cantabene..and that makes since...I was remembering back to the times when every piece of plata counted and I had to be sure and not go over duty free.

I don't know how they treat 'fortified' wines (Manzanilla), but each adult is allowed one quart of distilled spirits duty free. Once, a relative gave us two huge bottles (magnums?) of Felipe II Brandy the night before we would leave for our return to the U.S. It put us about a gallon over our limit: 'Customs' was nothing, about 40-cents (I breathed a sigh of relief). The IRS Tax was about 12-dollars.

I brought in a case (12 750ml bottles) of Rioja Reserva and they allowed it past customs at JFK.

I love Manzanilla! Another time I waited to buy wines/liquors at the duty free shops in Madrid's aeropuerto de Barajas. They had no Manzanilla! So, my following trip I bought my Manzanilla at a wine shop. Likewise for Albariño (and Rosál). If you want to bring some special wine, don't wait until you get to the airport.