Thursday 7 May 2015

Pour Me a Cold One

Summer days on the way, and I'll soon be sitting out on the deck under the sun umbrella sipping a cold one. But first I have to buy my beer.

Currently, if I want to buy a case of bottles or cans of beer in Ontario to take home, I have to go to the Beer Store which is foreign owned, or to the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) which is operated by the Government of Ontario. Sale of alcohol has always been strictly controlled here!

At my local Beer Store, here are my choices along with the prices.


The process of buying beer is: look at the board, decide what you want, tell the cashier, pay for it, and then your chosen case of beer comes rolling along a delivery chute from the nether regions of the store.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne recently announced that there is going to be a big change in the rules, and beer and wine will soon be available on the shelves of up to 450 grocery stores! Not all grocery stores, just a few, but that's better than the current arrangement. Will beer and wine ever be available in neighbourhood convenience stores, like in Montreal? Probably not for a long time.

Meanwhile.... the fridge is out of beer and the sun is shining...... I'm off to the Beer Store.

8 comments:

  1. Such different rules for alcohol to here...I have to say there is an upside for you over there, I think too much is available here. No I'm not a Teetotaler, in fact, think I might just have a glass of wine in a mo! ;)

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  2. Incredible! If they changed the laws here in the US people would probably start a revolution!! LOL!
    Liquor of every kind is available in every store you can imagine, here.....!
    Well, I hope you will have a Store near you, my dear....That will make a BIG difference.....Enjoy your Beer, my friend.

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  3. So interesting! I have never heard of a Beer Store! We have ABC Stores (alchohol Board Control). But our grocery stores sell lots and lots of specialty beers. You can get an empty six pack case to mix and match, or buy singles or a whole case.

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  4. It will be interesting to see what happens next.;)

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  5. I had not realised there were such alcohol controls in your neck of the woods.
    No such restrictions in the UK, with numerous shops selling alcohol.
    It does not affect me, as not a drop has passed my lips for nearly three years.
    If we see many typos in your blog, we will presume you have been swigging your purchase!

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  6. It kills me that The Beer Store is privately owned.

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  7. Interesting. I hadn't realized it was that controlled.
    I guess it does make finally getting the beer you want more satisfying??? (:0)

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  8. I did not realise that Canada still had such restricted rules for alcohol. When in Nova Scotia in the 60's it was a completely dry state. Being on a ship the sailors would buy Rum in Mexico and sell it in Nova Scotia and the locals used to hide it in the woods before a dance. How times have changed.

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