Alcoholic drinks in Canada

This article covers various topics involving alcoholic drinks in Canada. The Government of Canada defines an alcoholic drink as "a beverage containing 1.1% or more alcohol by volume."[1]

## History

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Further information: Alcohol in New France

Canadian wine has been produced for over 400 years. In 1611, Louis Hérbert planted a hillside vineyard near what is today, Bear River, Nova Scotia.[2] He and other settlers tried to cultivate Vitis vinifera grapes from Europe with limited success. They found it necessary to focus on the native species of Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia along with various hybrids. However, the market was limited for such wines because of their peculiar taste which was often called "foxy". However, this became less apparent when the juice was made into Port\- and Sherry-styled wines. In 1866, the first commercial winery opened in Canada, situated on Pelee Island in Ontario.[3]

During the first half of the twentieth century, the temperance movement and later consumer demand for fortified and sweet wines hampered the development of a quality table wine industry. Consumer demand did not shift from sweet and fortified wines to drier and lower alcohol table wines until the 1960s. At the same time, there were significant improvements in wine-making technology, access to better grape varieties and disease-resistant clones, and systematic research into viticulture.[citation needed]

Beer was first introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century, as Canada had an ideal climate for making beer before refrigeration was introduced. However, the preferred drink of the citizens of New France was imported wine or brandy. Although the first commercial brewery was built by Louis Prud'homme in Montreal (then Fort Ville-Marie) in 1650, it failed. Jean Talon, the first appointed Intendant of New France put limits on the amount of wine and spirits that could be imported and established the La brasserie de Roy in Quebec City, in the year 1668.[4] This brewery also failed after Talon returned to France in 1672 and import limits were increased.[5] What instead sprung up was the development of spruce beer, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.[6]

After the fall of New France, the numerous British soldiers in the Canadian British colonies in the eighteenth century was a benefit to breweries since the troops were each entitled to six pints of beer per day. Most preferred ales and other heavy beers, not lager.[7] Another important base of customers was the British Loyalists that immigrated from the newly independent United States to Canada.[8] During those centuries and into the nineteenth, a number of commercial brewers thrived, including some that became the staple of the Canadian industry: John Molson founded a brewery in Montreal in 1786, Alexander Keith in Halifax in 1820, Thomas Carling in London in 1840, John Kinder Labatt in 1847, also in London, Susannah Oland in Halifax in 1867, and Eugene O'Keefe in Toronto in 1891. The Upper Canada government issued a patent on July 6, 1842, to George Riley of Kingston, Upper Canada for "an improved method of brewing ale, beer, porter, and other malt liquors."[9] Molson's is the oldest surviving Canadian brewing enterprise.[10]

Canadian whisky is a type of whisky produced in Canada. Most Canadian whiskies are blended whiskies consisting of a mix of different whisky styles, and are typically lighter and smoother than other whisky styles.[11] While most Canadian whiskies are based predominantly on corn-based whiskies, Canadian distillers have long included rye-based whisky for flavour; in Canadian law the terms "Canadian whisky" and "rye whisky" are interchangeable to refer to the exact same product, even when it is made with only a small amount of rye spirits.[12]

## Comparative consumption

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Statistics Canada carries out surveys of alcoholic consumption in Canada, divided by territory/province.[13] Average values for the country in 2006 are given in the bottom row of the table.

| Wine | Rank | Beer | Rank | Spirits | Rank | Total | Rank↓

|
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|
|
|
|
|
|

Yukon | 18.3 | 1 | 90.6 | 3 | 13.8 | 1 | 12.7 | 1
Northwest Territories | 8.1 | 7 | 55.2 | 5 | 10.8 | 2 | 9.2 | 2
Alberta | 13.9 | 4 | 89.8 | 4 | 7.6 | 9 | 8.6 | 3
Newfoundland & Labrador | 6.5 | 11 | 93.3 | 2 | 7.3 | 10 | 8.0 | 4
British Columbia | 14.5 | 3 | 76.6 | 12 | 9.0 | 7 | 7.8 | 5
Ontario | 11.8 | 5 | 84.3 | 6 | 8.8 | 8 | 7.8 | 6
Quebec | 17.4 | 2 | 93.9 | 1 | 4.1 | 12 | 7.8 | 7
Prince Edward Island | 7.4 | 10 | 78.9 | 9 | 9.7 | 3 | 7.5 | 8
Nova Scotia | 8.0 | 8 | 79.5 | 8 | 9.1 | 5 | 7.5 | 9
Manitoba | 8.0 | 9 | 76.8 | 10 | 9.4 | 4 | 7.4 | 10
Saskatchewan | 5.0 | 12 | 76.8 | 11 | 9.1 | 6 | 7.0 | 11
New Brunswick | 8.4 | 6 | 79.8 | 7 | 6.8 | 11 | 6.7 | 12
Nunavut | Data unavailable
Canada  | 13.1 |  | 85.6 |  | 7.5 |  | 7.8 |
Values for wine, beer and spirits consumption are given in litres per person over 15, per annum. The total is expressed in litres of absolute alcohol.

## Distribution

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Under the Constitution of Canada, responsibility for enacting laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks in Canada is the sole responsibility of the ten provinces. Canada's three territories have also been granted similar autonomy over these matters under the provisions of federal legislation.

This means that there is a separate agency (or agencies) in each province responsible for regulating the consumption of and, in all but one case, the sale of alcoholic drinks. Alberta is currently the only jurisdiction to have completely privatized its retail liquor industry (the AGLC maintains a monopoly over the wholesale distribution of wine, distilled spirits and imported beer — the distribution operation itself being contracted out to a private operator). Most of the other jurisdictions have maintained a total or near-total control over the sale of hard liquor while allowing limited privatisation of country-originated beer and wine sales.

## Legal issues

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### Age

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In Canada, there is no federally defined age for legal alcohol purchase or consumption. Each province and territory is free to set its own drinking age. The legal ages for purchase are currently:[14]

* 19 years of age in British Columbia,[15][16] New Brunswick,[17] Newfoundland and Labrador,[18] Northwest Territories,[19] Nova Scotia,[20] Nunavut,[21] Ontario,[22] Prince Edward Island,[23] Saskatchewan,[24] and Yukon.[25]
* 18 years of age in Alberta,[26] Manitoba,[27][28] and Quebec.[29]

Most provinces of Canada enacted prohibition of alcohol sales, consumption and distribution between the years of 1910 and 1920, during Prohibition in Canada. After prohibition ended, provinces enacted minimum drinking ages of 20 or 21 years. In the early 70s, the age limits were lowered to either 18 or 19 years of age to align with the age of majority. Later, a few provinces and territories raised their age limit from 18 to 19 in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[30]

### Sales

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Alcohol and cannabis sales in Canada, April 2022 to March 2023

The selling hours of alcohol, both on and off-premises, are also appointed by provincial and territorial jurisdiction, as long as off-premises sale hours do not coincide with curfew hours. Many provinces and territories define the off-premises sale of hard liquor, either by alcohol volume or by quantities thereof, to be sold only within specific hours, which usually correspond to the opening hours of a given vendor. However, in some of them, it is also possible to derogate to the current norm upon applying for a distributor's licence, under certain circumstances. The on-premises sale is allowed at the discretion of the premise, with the hours being regulated by every province.

In general, most provinces have banned "tied houses" (bars that are affiliated with only one alcohol supplier), in favour of free houses which sell products from a variety of suppliers. A partial exception is made for brewpubs where a bar and brewery are on the same site.

### Consumption

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The consumption of alcohol in public places is generally forbidden, regardless of the time (in a few provinces and territories this is still not enforced), unless a permit to do so is delivered by the responsible municipal authorities. In Quebec the consumption of drinks with low alcohol contents is permitted in public if accompanied by food. In all of the provinces and territories, the consumption of alcohol is forbidden while driving, with Ontario and Quebec also forbidding the possession of open non-empty containers within a motionless vehicle. Police in Canada are known to show considerable discretion to public consumption based on the amount of public disruption.

## See also

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* Alcoholic drink
* Caesar (cocktail)
* Legal drinking age
* Queen Mary (beer cocktail)

## Notes

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1. ^ "Labeling Requirements For Alcohol", Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Retrieved on 14 April 2015.
2. ^ Aspler, Tony (1995). Vintage Canada: The complete reference to Canadian wines. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
3. ^ "Market Analysis Report: A Global Export Market Overview for British Columbia's Wine Industry" (PDF). Government of British Columbia. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
4. ^ Sneath, Allen Winn (2001). ""Brewing in the New Land"". Brewed in Canada. Toronto and Oxford: The Dundurn Group. pp. 21–22.
5. ^ Coutts 2010, pp. 9–10.
6. ^ Coutts 2010, p. 10.
7. ^ Bellamy, Bellamy (May 2009). "Beer Wars". Canada's History. Canada's History Magazine. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
8. ^ Coutts 2010, p. 22.
9. ^ Canada Patent Office (1860). Patents of Canada. Lovell & Gibson.
10. ^ Koch, Phil (May 2009). "Beer Wars - Canadians have enjoyed suds for centuries". Canada's History. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017. "When Jacques Cartier arrived in North America, he and his crew were shown how to make the spruce beer Canada's First Nations were already brewing. Many early settlers brewed beer in their homes"
11. ^ What is Canadian Whisky? Archived February 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, whisky.com. (Access date December 15, 2010.)
12. ^ de Kergommeaux, Davin (2012). Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert. McClelland & Stewart Ltd. pp. xii & 5\. ISBN 978-0-7710-2743-7.
13. ^ "SAQ Annual Report". Société des alcools du Québec. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-06-04.
14. ^ "Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse". Archived from the original on 2009-02-22. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
15. ^ "Liquor Control and Licensing Act, SBC 2015, c 19". CanLII. Section 77(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
16. ^ "Age of Majority Act, RSBC 1996, c 7". CanLII. Section 1. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
17. ^ "Liquor Control Act, RSNB 1973, c L-10". CanLII. Section 126(4). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
18. ^ "Liquor Control Act, RSNL 1990, c L-18". CanLII. Section 72. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
19. ^ "Liquor Act, SNWT 2007, c 15". CanLII. Section 77(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
20. ^ "Liquor Control Act, RSNS 1989, c 260". CanLII. Section 89(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
21. ^ "Liquor Act, RSNWT (Nu) 1988, c L-9". CanLII. Section 85(2). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
22. ^ "Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019, SO 2019, c 15, Sch 22". CanLII. Section 33(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
23. ^ "Liquor Control Act, RSPEI 1988, c L-14". CanLII. Section 40(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
24. ^ "The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997, SS 1997, c A-18.011". CanLII. Sections 2 and 110(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
25. ^ "Liquor Act, RSY 2002, c 140". CanLII. Section 90(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
26. ^ "Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, RSA 2000, c G-1". CanLII. Sections 1 and 87(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
27. ^ "The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act, CCSM c L153". CanLII. Section 62(1). Retrieved 2024-02-25.
28. ^ "The Interpretation Act, CCSM c I80". CanLII. Section 17. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
29. ^ "Act respecting offences relating to alcoholic beverages, CQLR c I-8.1". CanLII. Section 103.1. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
30. ^ "The Impact and Effectiveness of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Legislation in Canada" (PDF). Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Retrieved 24 December 2024.

### Sources

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* Coutts, Ian (2010). Brew North: How Canadians Made Beer and Beer Made Canada. Vancouver: Greystone Books. ISBN 9781553654674.

* v
* t
* e

Liquor authorities of Canada

Retail and/or licensing|

* BC Liquor Stores
* Sask Liquor
* Liquor Mart (Manitoba)
* LCBO (Ontario)
* SAQ (Quebec)
* Alcool NB Liquor
* NSLC
* PEILCC
* NLC (Newfoundland)
* NWT Liquor
* Nunavut Liquor
* YLC (Yukon)

Licensing only|

* Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (British Columbia)
* Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission
* Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
* Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (Quebec)
* Alcohol and Gaming Authority (Nova Scotia)
* Liquor Licensing Board (Northwest Territories)
* Liquor Licensing Board (Nunavut)

* v
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Alcohol-related topics by country

Countries|

* Afghanistan
* Australia
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* Alcohol in France
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Malaysia
* Alcohol in Nepal
* New Zealand
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* Saudi Arabia
* Somalia
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* Alcohol in Thailand
* United Kingdom

Drinking culture|

* Australia
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Alcoholic drinks|

* Canada
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Laws|

| Current|

* Australia
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* United Kingdom
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* Alcohol consumption by youth
* Alcohol-related traffic crashes
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* Drunk driving
* Legal drinking age
* List of alcohol laws in USA
* Open-container laws
* Beer classification
* Sweden and Finland

|

Historical|

* Canada
* Iceland
* Russia
* United States

Related|

* Alcohol consumption recommendations
* Prohibition
* Drunk driving law by country
* Category:Alcohol by country

* v
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Alcoholic beverages

History and production

| History of alcohol|

* History of alcoholic beverages
* History of beer
* History of wine
* History of Bordeaux wine
* History of Champagne
* History of Chianti
* History of Rioja wine
* History of Sherry

|

Production|

* Alcohol industry
* Bathtub gin
* Brewing
* Brewery
* Malting
* Lautering
* Wort
* Yeast
* Distillation
* Drinking establishments
* Fermentation
* Simple syrup
* Yeast in winemaking
* Winemaking
* Yeast in winemaking

Fermented drinks by ingredients

| Fruit|

* Apple
* Cider
* Banana
* Banana beer
* Banana wine
* Bignay
* Bignay wine
* Bokbunja
* Bokbunja-ju
* Grape
* Madeira wine
* Marsala wine
* Mistelle
* Moscatel de Setúbal
* Port wine
* Red wine
* Rosé wine
* Sherry
* Vermouth
* White wine
* Java plum
* Duhat wine
* Longan
* Longan wine
* Lychee
* Lychee wine
* Pear
* Perry
* Pineapple
* Tepache
* Plum
* Plum jerkum
* Pomegranate
* Rimon
* Prickly pear
* Colonche
* Various fruits
* Conditum
* Dubonnet
* Hippocras
* Jabol
* Mulled wine
* Nabidh
* Pruno
* Sangria

|

Cereals|

* Barley
* Barley wine
* Corn
* Mageu
* Pozol
* Tejuino
* Tesgüino
* Millet
* Oshikundu
* Tongba
* Rice
* Agkud
* Amazake
* Apo
* Beopju
* Brem
* Choujiu
* Chuak
* Dansul
* Gwaha-ju
* Hariya
* Makgeolli
* Mijiu
* Mirin
* Pangasi
* Rice wine
* Rượu cần
* Sake
* Sato
* Shaoxing wine
* Sonti
* Tapai
* Tapuy
* Zu
* Rye
* Kvass
* Sorghum
* Pendhā
* Multiple grains
* Ale
* Ara
* Beer
* Boza
* Huangjiu

Other|

* Agave americana
* Pulque
* Coconut and other palms
* Bahalina
* Palm wine
* Tuak
* Tubâ
* Tuhak
* Tunggang
* Dairy
* Kumis
* Ginger
* Ginger wine
* Galangal
* Byais
* Honey
* Bais
* Byais
* Kabarawan
* Mead
* Sugar
* Kilju
* Sugarcane or molasses
* Basi
* Intus
* Palek
* Tea
* Fermented tea
* Kombucha
* Various starches
* Cauim
* Chicha
* Parakari
* Ibwatu

Liquors by ingredients

| Fruit|

* Apple
* Applejack
* Calvados
* Cashew apple
* Feni
* Cherry
* Kirschwasser
* Dates
* Araqi
* Fig
* Boukha
* Grape
* Arak
* Armagnac
* Brandy
* Cognac
* Pisco
* Zivania
* Juniper
* Gin
* Plum
* Slivovitz
* Țuică
* Pomace
* Chacha
* Grappa
* Marc
* Orujo
* Tsikoudia
* Tsipouro
* Zivania
* Various fruits
* Brandy
* Eau de vie
* Geist
* Himbeergeist
* Marillenschnaps
* Nalewka
* Oghi
* Pálinka
* Rakia
* Schnaps

|

Cereals|

* Barley
* Irish whiskey
* Japanese whisky
* Scotch whisky
* Beer
* Bierbrand
* Buckwheat
* Buckwheat whisky
* Maize
* Bourbon whiskey
* Corn whiskey
* Tennessee whiskey
* Rice
* Awamori
* Cheongju
* Cholai
* Lao-Lao
* Lihing
* Mixiang Baijiu
* Shochu
* Soju
* Sulai
* Rye
* Korn
* Rye whiskey
* Starka
* Sorghum
* Baijiu (Kaoliang liquor)
* Multiple grains
* Ara
* American whiskey
* Baijiu
* Canadian whisky
* Shōchū
* Whisky

Other|

* Agave
* Mezcal
* Tequila
* Coconut and other palms
* Arrack
* Laksoy
* Lambanog
* Sotol
* Dairy
* Arkhi
* Maple syrup
* Acerum
* Sugarcane or molasses
* Aguardiente
* Cachaça
* Clairin
* Desi daru
* Guaro
* Rum
* Seco Herrerano
* Sulai
* Sura
* Tharra
* Various starches
* Aguardiente
* Akvavit
* Bangla
* Horilka
* Poitín
* Shōchū
* Vodka

Liqueurs and infused distilled drinks by ingredients

* Almond
* Amaretto
* Crème de Noyaux
* Anise
* Absinthe
* Anisado
*         * Anisado Mallorca
* Anisette
* Arak
* Hierbas
*         * Hierbas de Mallorca
* Mastika
* Ouzo
* Rakı
* Sambuca
* Beer
* Bierlikör
* Blackthorn shrub
* Patxaran
* Cherry
* Cherry Heering
* Maraschino
* Chili peppers
* Pertsivka
* Chocolate
* Chocolate liqueur
* Cinnamon
* Tentura
* Cloudberry
* Lakka
* Coconut
* Malibu
* Coffee
* Kahlúa
* Tia Maria
* Cream
* Cream liqueur
* Irish cream
* Egg
* Advocaat
* Eggnog
* Hazelnut
* Frangelico
* Herbs
* Aquavit
* Bénédictine
* Brennivín
* Crème de menthe
* Metaxa
* Unicum
* Honey
* Bärenjäger
* Drambuie
* Glayva
* Irish Mist
* Krupnik
* Juniper
* Borovička
* Gin
* Jenever
* Mammee apple flower
* Eau créole
* Orange
* Cointreau
* Curaçao
* Grand Marnier
* Triple sec
* Star anise
* Pastis
* Sassolino
* Sugarcane/molasses
* Charanda
* Vanilla
* Licor 43
* Various fruits
* Campari
* Cedratine
* Crème de banane
* Crème de cassis
* Limoncello
* Schnapps
* Sloe gin
* Walnut
* Nocino

* List

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