Canadians rush to buy American alcohol before ban on US brands

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Ontario liquor stores were busy Monday morning, with a steady stream of customers seeking to buy American bourbon and California wines before all U.S. liquor was expected to be pulled from the shelves.

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The move was to be in response to U.S. tariffs that were to take effect on Tuesday, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday afternoon that the two countries had agreed to a 30-day delay.

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One elderly man with a shopping cart full of California wine had arrived at a store in Maple, Ont., with the mission of building a stockpile due to that “monkey with a grenade,” he said, referring to President Donald Trump, who had announced he would impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods as of 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 4. In response, Ontario and other provinces said they would stop selling American liquor as of Tuesday.

At another Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) location in nearby Richmond Hill, two women arrived just after the morning rush to see much of the California wine section largely emptied. They quickly scooped up dozens of bottles of their favourite American brands from what was left.

“We don’t know when it will end,” a middle-aged blonde woman told National Post, joking that she would pay for her bottles courtesy of LCBO gift cards saved up over the years.

Reactions to provincial plans to stop selling American alcohol varied across the country on Monday. Images circulating on social media of liquor stores in British Columbia showed emptied shelves where American alcohol products once stood, with signs encouraging shoppers to “Buy Canada Instead” above a Canadian maple leaf emblazoned on the display.

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A video reportedly shot in St. John’s, Nfld., shows shelves of what appears to be American wine completely emptied, though it is unclear whether they were sold out or removed.

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The rapid pace of events over the weekend left several LCBO employees uncertain about what the coming days and hours had in store.

One worker at the Maple location was busy rearranging floor displays, but said the store would continue selling American products until the end of the business day when they would be removed. An employee at the Richmond Hill location said she was not fully aware of what the rollout of the provincial boycott would look like on Tuesday.

Asked what products were the most popular among Canadians, an employee at the Richmond Hill store believed Toronto residents would “demolish” American bourbons — such as Maker’s Mark and Jack Daniels — alongside their favourite California wines over the coming hours. A social media post on Sunday morning appeared to confirm this process was already underway at one LCBO location in Ontario, which was quickly selling out of American bourbon.

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LCBO told National Post on Monday it is set to “indefinitely” remove all American alcohol products, in-store and online, by Tuesday at the latest.

“As part of Ontario’s response strategy to the imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, the government of Ontario has directed LCBO to indefinitely stop all sales of U.S. alcohol products in our stores and online and to stop wholesale sales of U.S. products to restaurants, bars, grocery and other retailers, no later than February 4, 2025,” the Crown agency told the Post in a written statement.

“LCBO is the importer of record for all U.S. alcohol products into Ontario, with annual sales of up to $965 million. We currently list more than 3,600 products from 35 U.S. states.”

The agency did not respond by deadline to the Post’s request for additional comment about the agency’s plans for any remaining inventory of American alcohol and whether the existing product was already paid for.

Ford’s announcement set off a flurry of similar calls across the country. British Columbia announced targeted sanctions of “red state” alcohol producers, while both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia are enforcing widespread boycotts of American spirits.

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“The Prince Edward Island Government will take immediate steps to remove U.S.-based products from liquor stores and will be limiting procurement with U.S.-based companies,” P.E.I. Premier Dennis King wrote late Sunday, noting that by Tuesday all products would no longer be available for purchase.

King added that “restaurants and agency stores” will no longer be able to order American alcohol through PEI Liquor.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston expressed a similar sentiment on Saturday, reflecting how strange it is “to find ourselves at odds with our best friend and neighbour.” Houston announced the province would remove all U.S. alcohol from the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation.

Political leaders in Quebec and Manitoba made similar statements.

“This is a question about national identity,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said during a Sunday press conference. “If you have to switch to Crown Royal as part of that patriotism, I think that’s a pretty good deal.”

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt struck a slightly different tone, openly bemoaning how President Trump’s actions “will devastate New Brunswick and American workers, businesses and the economy,” on Saturday.

“NB Liquor sells $40 million worth of American alcohol products in our stores,” the premier added. “I have directed NB Liquor to cease purchasing U.S. alcohol and to remove their products from the shelves.”

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