One of the founders of my synagogue made bank smuggling Canadian whiskey during prohibition. Now, one hundred years later, I could take a van full of Pappy Van Winkle into Canada, and promptly be told "...no thank you, please go back to America"
In British Colombia there are government liquor store and private liquor stores. The main difference photo is a government store. The BC Liquor Distribution Branch controls most of the importation and distribution of liquor in the province and is not buying American alcohol.
It is selling off its stock of American alcohol to private liquor stores so you can still buy it while supplies last but it is not ordering more. The grubby meanness and insanity of Trump’s tariffs will have this replayed all over Canada.
I have visited some of those wineries in Ontario, which is how I found out how good the wine is that they produce. I believe a lot of the best wine isn’t available in the USA. Canadians are smart to keep it for themselves.
Had the chance to try Sortilège maple whisky from Quebec over the weekend, which I enjoyed very much. The maple syrup mellows the whisky without making it too sweet. And great possibilities for baking, from variations of rum cake, but with whisky instead, to bread pudding.
Damn that sounds delicious. But I'm off alcohol. Sober. I went ummm "professional" for a few years, a lot of years, and now
"retired." But do enjoy please on my behalf, i love love love rum cake. Loved.
I don't drink much and am more inclined to bake with alcohol. I was thinking that Sortilège might also be good in the Christmas fruitcake later this year -- there's a version with blueberry and another with apple added to the maple syrup.
⬆️ With you there. My drinking career is over too. Only career in which I was the CEO, CFO and COO. LOL.
PS: I loved rum cake too. Delighted to find a local bakery that makes little rum cakes without alcohol.
The government liquor stores in BC all look like this. Most of the private ones have not removed American booze from the shelves. So people can still find it. They have to pay a little more at the private stores but I haven’t heard anyone complain too much. It’s all very civil here 😊
This is a BC govt store - they have the storage and financial ability - as our taxes pay their staff and rent - to take everything American off the shelves.
As a private store owner with much tighter margins, I will be worse off
But
Will never EVER bow down to trump & his criminal enterprise
💪🇨🇦
I hate the way Danielle Smith is handling tariffs ... health care ... coal mines ... wild horses ... trapping ... forestry ... education ... @naheednenshi.bsky.social Please defeat the UCP.
In New Brunswick we just completely reorganized the stores and took down all signs for the USA. Looks like none of it’s going back up for a long time. Hopefully the province goes through with canceling all contracts with the US and that this lasts well after Trump is gone. Good riddance.
Not trying to be an a-hole, just curious. I keep seeing those empty shelves with the signs. I get the messaging but are they restocking with Canadian or other alcoholic beverages? After a while it just looks like the shelves are bare.
I live in Ontario and our stores restocked, now there's just a sign saying they don't sell American booze so ask staff about alternatives (I just happened to go there the day they did it). Not sure how B.C. is going to handle it, but it doesn't make sense to leave them empty long term.
Not sure about BC (each province has different ways of handling alcohol sales) but in Ontario, any gaps were quickly filled with Canadian and other products.
My province's liquor stores did something similar initially, but once it was clear that the tariffs were here to stay, they ditched the signs and restocked with other, non-American options.
This is specifically the "American whiskey" section of the store, looks like, so leaving it bare makes a statement. There'd be alternatives stocked elsewhere.
I get it--really I do. But it kind of has the feel of the Tsum department stores in Sofia with a kind of 'Buy Bulgaria' feel- and they offer black socks and combs. If I was doing messaging I would put up a well stocked Canadian whiskey sampling with signs like 'Who needs American when we have this?'
That wall of Canadian Whisky is behind the photographer. Those shelves will be reallocated; even if tariff threats end tomorrow, the backstab won't be forgotten. American booze will never sell like it used to.
Will be particularly hard on red states Tennessee and Kentucky. California probably not too concerned about their wine industry as they sell plenty vino in the US. Not too many other alcohol juggernaut states.
The LCBO in Ontario rearranged their shelves so well…there is nothing missing. Well stocked and organized and American booze…just gone. But the shelf space is full of other great options.
I dunno. I mean, it's clearly a business decision, the incremental business increase due to goodwill from "yeah! FUCK those guys!", vs. the incremental business increase due to broader selection.
I mean, cool new whiskey from Japan, craft gins from the UK, on the other hand: FUCK those guys.
Comments
https://www.visitniagaracanada.com/taste/wineries/
They have gorgeous settings and offer wine tastings, dinners, tours, events, and their wines are great. Pelee Island wines are good, too.
"retired." But do enjoy please on my behalf, i love love love rum cake. Loved.
PS: I loved rum cake too. Delighted to find a local bakery that makes little rum cakes without alcohol.
We’re not buying your shit.
https://bsky.app/profile/lukasneville.com/post/3lkyjldmnn22u
As a private store owner with much tighter margins, I will be worse off
But
Will never EVER bow down to trump & his criminal enterprise
💪🇨🇦
...but the caption makes clear it's from March 10.
I doubt BC Liquor Stores are wasting shelf space now that they've had a month to adjust.
I mean, cool new whiskey from Japan, craft gins from the UK, on the other hand: FUCK those guys.