If you’re looking for a bottle of your favourite American alcoholic beverage at your local liquor store, you may soon be out of luck.
The province announced on Wednesday that it is halting future sales of U.S. liquor in response to the tariffs on Canadian imports that are being imposed by President Donald Trump.
Anyone looking to purchase American wine, spirits or beer in Alberta could soon be out of luck after the province announced it’s putting a stop to future purchases.
Global News
That means when your favourite beverage is gone, it’s gone until Trump lifts his tariffs.
“Liquor stores I think understand the situation that we’re in right now with respect to the United States and support the government in their efforts to fight back,” said Yvonne Martinez, president of the Alberta Liquor Store Association.
“There might be a few glitches here and there — not everyone is going to be 100 per cent happy, but for the most part, something needed to be done and we are part of that solution we hope.”
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The association has about 1,600 members in the province. However, unlike Ontario, where most alcoholic beverages are sold through stores owned by the provincial government, Alberta liquor stores are privately-owned. That means the liquor sitting on store shelves has been bought and paid for by the retailer, until it can be resold to customers.
“Had the government decided to pull those from our shelves, it would really put our liquor stores, especially the small independent ones’ bottom line,” said Martinez.
“We are able to sell our existing product. We just won’t be able to order a new stock or any new liquor from the U.S. until further notice.”
Sales of American liquor had already taken a hit even before the province announced its ban on future purchases, with both store owners and customers telling Global News that many people had already stopped buying American beer and spirits.
“Our customers have been telling us, they want alternatives,” said Andrew Ferguson, owner of the Kensington Wine Market in Calgary. “They’ve been coming in and telling us, help us pick out six or 12 wines, but nothing American. So we are taking the lead from our customers.”
The owner of Calgary’s Kensington Wine Market said many of his customers had already stopped buying American products, even before the government announced a ban on future sales.
Global News
The value of the products involved in the ban on future sales in Alberta is significant. The province estimates nearly $300 million worth of American liquor was sold in Alberta in the last fiscal year.
The Calgary Stampede — which has several partnerships with American brands — said it is also closely monitoring the situation in preparation for this summer’s Stampede, which is just four months away.
While Budweiser is a huge internationally-recognized brand and has a big presence at the Stampede, organizers say Labatt has been brewing Budweiser in Canada since 1980.