The still looming threat of a trade war between Canada and the United States is being seen as an opportunity for change in Canada’s liquor market.
Breweries and distilleries in Alberta are hoping this makes it easier to get their products into other provinces.
The team at Edmonton’s Alley Kat Brewing Company says they want to see fewer obstacles preventing their products from being found in coolers across Canada, as more drinkers consider choosing Canadian at the checkout.
“There’s a lot of different breweries that can come into Alberta, it’s just a lot more difficult getting it out,” said Alley Kat owner Cameron French.
Some Alley Kat products make it to other provinces, but French says getting them on the shelves there isn’t always smooth, as each province has its own liquor board, application processes and regulations. French hopes the process can be simplified – potentially spurred on by the trade war threat.
“We do very well, and so do a lot of other breweries in Alberta, but it would be nice to get our beer outside of it as well, just to give people that option to try Alley Kat,” French said.
Provincial liquor boards will often stock their own homegrown products, French adds, and those they know will sell better over what may be available in a different province.
“There is no real drive to put other Canadian products on the shelves,” said Adam Legge, president of the Business Council of Alberta. ‘So, we’re hoping this is a wake-up call for the ridiculous inter-provincial trade barriers across the country.”
After the threat of tariffs and counter-tariffs was paused for 30 days, American liquor can continue to be sold in Canada without tariffs.
But while other provinces – like B.C., Ontario and Quebec – were quick to pull U.S. products from the shelves as a form of retaliation, the Business Council of Alberta does not expect that to be the case in Alberta if tariffs continue in one month.
“We have a private sector model,” Legge explained. “It’s up to the stores to decide what they want to buy.”