legal cuban rum!!!

Hi,

Just came back from a weekend trip to Vancouver, B.C. I've brought back Cuban rum before without incident. This time I wasn't really planning on bringing any back. I like rum and all but it's not really worth the trouble (and the possibility of getting caught).

But I was in the duty free store just across the border, and they were selling it there!! They just had one item, a 750 ml bottle of Havana Club Anejo Reserva. It has the exact same type of packaging and the official government seal as the other brands of Havana Club. I know there's been talk of Bacardi marketing this stuff, but there is nothing to indicate this has anything to do with Bacardi.

Anyway, just to make sure I was on the right side of the law, I asked. The employee replied that everything in the duty-free store is legal. So I don't know what this really means. Is all Havana Club rum now legal? Is it just the Anejo Reserva in this particular size? Anyway, for sure this particular brand and size is now legal. It was fairly expensive (but still affordable) so maybe the Cuban government is paying some extra taxes to get it on the market. That's all I can think of.

Wow, I didn't know it was possible to 'legally' bring Havana Club into the U.S. regardless. I hope it shows up outside of duty free shops.

Hello,

I recently ran across Tiki Central looking for rum drinks and inspiration for my porch/bar design project, so this is my first post here.

Anyhow, if there's a UPC bar code on your bottle, you might be able to check at http://www.upcdatabase.com to see if it's distributed by Bacardi or by Pernod Ricard. Or, post it here and I can try to track it down.

[ Edited by: thomamas 2007-04-09 22:56 ]

Bacardi's "Havana Club" bottle is frosted glass, and it quite clearly says "Puerto Rican Rum" on the label.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.luxist.com/media/2006/08/havanaclub.jpg

I would bet that the employee was uninformed. I don't know of a lifting of the ban on any Cuban products, be it rum, cigars or whatever. Now, I would also hazard to guess that the border patrol is a lot more concerned with other issues (drugs, terrorism, illegal aliens) than a bottle of Cuban rum. Still, buyer beware.

I have found employees in duty free shops say things that aren't true vis-a-vis crossing back into the U.S. with the booze. In Mexico, they tell you you can take 3-4 liters back when its 1 liter per person. They just want to sell you more stuff regardless of whether you can carry it across the border..

The Canadian might just be ignorant or he might just be pushing his product too hard.

With no way to bring liquids in your carry on bag in the U.S. (except for small amounts packed in a quart ziploc baggie), I don't see much opportunity for buying booze in duty free shops anymore. :(

I have brought booze and cigars back from Mexico in my checked bags many times. And since 9/11 too when they went through every bag by hand. I was told that quantities for personal consumption are okay. Quantitites for resale, like a box of cigars, they may have a problem with. But, in the end, it is a Mexican checking my bag, and he does not care what the US says about rum. He's not the one who will stop me and no one else has ever even looked as far as I can tell.

On 2007-04-10 10:24, thejab wrote:
With no way to bring liquids in your carry on bag in the U.S. (except for small amounts packed in a quart ziploc baggie), I don't see much opportunity for buying booze in duty free shops anymore. :(

Just put it in your checked baggage. I do this all the time when I'm in another part of the country, I buy booze there that I can't get at home (like Pampero). I bring blue drywall tape to tape the screw caps or corks for an extra measure of security. Then I put the bottles in socks and try to get some clothes around them. You can also put them in a big ziplock if you're afraid they'll leak.

We've also carried lots of liquor in our checked luggage and (knock on wood) haven't had any breakage so far. Pack lots of clothing and/or bubble wrap (we come prepared) around it.

However, we just flew back from Mexico a couple of weeks ago and duty free purchases were allowed to be taken onto the flight. I'm not sure how it works other places, but in Mexico you made your purchases and they delivered all the duty free purchases to your flight as you were boarding. You picked them up as you went through security (since you had to go through security again as you were boarding).

Since they were delivered in clear plastic bags I would still be inclined to pack my Cuban rum in my checked luggage. It's also cheaper to buy it at a regular liquor store than a duty free (at least where we were).

[ Edited by: velveteenlounge 2007-04-10 12:28 ]

I've bought Havana Club at the Gigante grocery store on Revolucion in Tijuana. They have both Anejo Blanco and 7 Anos. I find liquor cheaper at the grocery store than at the liquor stores. I'm usually one of the few Americans in the place, even though it's right on the tourist strip.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. A couple items: I tried the UPC finder that someone posted. That didn't work, but it also didn't work for any of my other Havana Club bottles. It looks EXACTLY the same as my other bottles, so I have no reason to believe it is not legit. It looks nothing like the Bacardi Havana rum (which I never seen for sale)

As far as the duty-free store that is less than half a mile from the border, I would say that everything in the store is 100% legal. If anyone has any concrete experience with this, please speak up. But I would venture that everything for sale will always be legal because of regulation, taxes, etc. I think all of this would necessarily be coordinated between the two governments. Or else I give government way too much credit. But you don't see Cuban cigars or Absinthe for sale at the duty-free store (which you can buy easily in Canada)

But if they sell Havana Club at the Canadian duty-free store, wouldn't it stand to reason that they would have it at the U.S. duty-free store? Hmm, maybe I'll check it out next time. Anyway, legal or not (and I'm saying it's legal) I doubt anything's going to happen when they look at your rum and your receipt from the official store just down the street.

Well, maybe I spoke too soon. If you read the wording, maybe you're allowed 1 litre of Cuban rum if you're in Canada for more than 48 hours? Stupid.

"Personal Allowances for Americans Returning to the US after Less than 48 Hrs:

After a stay of less than 48 hours in Canada, a US citizen or resident may return to the US with:

• US$200 worth of goods per person, tax and duty free
• 150 ml (5 oz) alcohol and 10 cigars (non Cuban)
• Any purchases in excess of the US$200 allowance may be subject to duties and taxes.
• US citizens may buy these amounts daily.

Personal Allowances for Americans Returning to the US after More than 48 Hrs:

After a stay of 48 hours or more in Canada, a US citizen or resident may return to the US with:

• US$800 worth of goods per person, tax and duty free
• Purchases may include 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes (1 carton), and 100 cigars.
• Family members may combine their tax and duty allowances.
• Any purchases in excess of the US$800 allowance may be subject to duties and taxes.
• US citizens may buy these amounts once a month."

defaultet, where did you get this info? I'd like to see if I can find the reverse - that is, can CA citizens coming into the US bring Cuban rum?

I guess my next trip to Montreal will be for at least 49 hours....

Well, I have to admit that although I've heard for years that it was illegal to bring back Cuban rum, I can find no mention of it on the US Customs web site. It specifically says that Cuban cigars are illegal to bring back, but no other Cuban items.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/alerts/cbp_reqs_mexico.xml

Prohibited and Restricted Items

Merchandise from Embargoed Countries
Generally, you may not bring in any goods from the following (if not followed by an asterisk or where specified that the embargo only applies to diamonds): Cuba, Iran*, Iraq*, Serbia and Montenegro*, North Korea*, Burma (Myanmar), Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone (diamonds only) and Sudan. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury enforces this ban.

On 2007-04-10 11:31, DemeraraDrinker wrote:

On 2007-04-10 10:24, thejab wrote:
With no way to bring liquids in your carry on bag in the U.S. (except for small amounts packed in a quart ziploc baggie), I don't see much opportunity for buying booze in duty free shops anymore. :(

Just put it in your checked baggage. I do this all the time when I'm in another part of the country, I buy booze there that I can't get at home (like Pampero). I bring blue drywall tape to tape the screw caps or corks for an extra measure of security. Then I put the bottles in socks and try to get some clothes around them. You can also put them in a big ziplock if you're afraid they'll leak.

Duty free shops in airports are usually inside the gate area, after you check your bags. That was my point. I realize that you can carry booze in checked baggage.

Duty free shops in airports are usually inside the gate area, after you check your bags. That was my point. I realize that you can carry booze in checked baggage.

Whoops, sorry about that. Actually, the no liquids in carry on baggage has hurt me cause I used to carry on all the booze so I could protect it (no matter where I bought it). Now I'm taping and packaging the stuff in the checked bags like I'm sending something to a buyer on Ebay.

But after you check your bags, and go through the security checkpoint (and discard your bottle of water and whatever else), you're free to buy whatever from the duty free and then carry it on, are you not? It's been a few months since I flew last, but whatever you buy after the security checkpoints was allowable on the aircraft. I brought on a bottle of water last time.
You would have trouble if you're laying over or something like that, since you may have to cross another security checkpoint. I doubt they'd make an exception for a purchase from a duty-free shop even if it was still sealed and you had the receipt to prove it.

On 2007-04-11 10:17, dogbytes wrote:
Prohibited and Restricted Items

Merchandise from Embargoed Countries
Generally, you may not bring in any goods from the following (if not followed by an asterisk or where specified that the embargo only applies to diamonds): Cuba, Iran*, Iraq*, Serbia and Montenegro*, North Korea*, Burma (Myanmar), Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone (diamonds only) and Sudan. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury enforces this ban.

I found an even clearer answer. See the info below the heading "Transactions Involving Cuban-Origin Goods in Third Countries":

http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/ccigar2.pdf

In other words, you cannot purchase Cuban rum in Canada or Mexico and bring it back to the US.

[ Edited by: arriano 2007-04-11 14:32 ]

On 2007-04-11 14:26, arriano wrote:

In other words, you cannot purchase Cuban rum in Canada or Mexico and bring it back to the US.

Bummer. :(

On 2007-04-11 11:43, thejab wrote:

On 2007-04-10 11:31, DemeraraDrinker wrote:

On 2007-04-10 10:24, thejab wrote:
With no way to bring liquids in your carry on bag in the U.S. (except for small amounts packed in a quart ziploc baggie), I don't see much opportunity for buying booze in duty free shops anymore. :(

Just put it in your checked baggage. I do this all the time when I'm in another part of the country, I buy booze there that I can't get at home (like Pampero). I bring blue drywall tape to tape the screw caps or corks for an extra measure of security. Then I put the bottles in socks and try to get some clothes around them. You can also put them in a big ziplock if you're afraid they'll leak.

Duty free shops in airports are usually inside the gate area, after you check your bags. That was my point. I realize that you can carry booze in checked baggage.

My experience, at least flying to New York from Mexico two weeks ago, was that, even though the duty free was after you had already checked your luggage, you were allowed to bring liquor from the duty free onto the flight as a carry on, since they delivered your purchases directly to your flight--you didn't walk out of the store with them. This may not be the same for every country, or even every airport in Mexico, but just about everyone on our flight had booze from the duty free in that overhead bin.

@arriano,

Thanks for the info! It's kind of ridiculous but, hey, that's what it is. I just can't believe that the Canadian and U.S. Governments don't have any say in what the duty-free shops sell, but that could very well be the case.

Anyway, regardless of if you buy stuff to bring back to the U.S. (and there's really no reason not to) you should all buy stuff while in Canada for consumption there. Not because it's good rum (it's all right) or because you like cigars (don't smoke), but just as a matter of principle.

so i shou; dbuy camel ciggys when i goto buffalo fer wings??

and the new yorkers should be buyen the du MAURIER's when they are coming up fer maple syrup??

just on pure speculation??

When IN Cuba, it is hard to get anything else BUT Havana Club at local Bars. The product is pushed everywhere. The Anejo was wonderful, but after a while I wanted to try some other local labels, which you can get in non-tourist shops. Although Ron Caney has a great label with native Tainos on it, it tasted watered down. Cubay was not bad. The best thing was that even though my friend Pete and I smoked a cigar and drank about 1/3 of a bottle of rum each every evening, I never had a hangover the next day. Must have been the climate.