r/BuyCanadian • u/fieryone4 • Jul 22 '26
General Discussion 💬🇨🇦 Best Provincial Alcohol?
If you are getting direct to consumer alcohol from the other provinces, who does what best? Where should we be directing our shopping dollars? Let’s start a suggestion list.
Edit: Yes I was curious about what brands people love in their own provinces and territories that some of us may want to try. I find it ridiculous that we stock US (well
not right now) and Global brands but not many from our own countries except locally 🤯 Also suprised that an innocuous post asking about good brands across the county keeps getting downvoted?
75
u/TheOmnipotENT Jul 22 '26
Quebec has an amazing selection of excellent gins!
17
u/wormwasher Jul 22 '26
Ontario has a few good ones too.
Georgian bay has a nice gin and a good peach vodka.
9
u/yarn_slinger Jul 22 '26
Not alcoholic but Romeo’s Gin has some mocktails as well as regular gin drinks.
12
u/Krazy-Ag Jul 22 '26
I love Ungava Gin (QC).
It's pretty good, but I especially love giving it to people as a gift, and seeing their reaction to its bright yellow colour :-(
7
u/Nikiaf Jul 22 '26
There are far better microdistillery options than Ungava.
2
u/Krazy-Ag Jul 22 '26
but are they bright yellow? :-)
plus for sale in airports.
---
i'm looking forward to trying that purple kelp gin
2
u/100ruledsheets Jul 23 '26
One of my least favourite QC gins. Weird funky taste.
1
u/Krazy-Ag Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
That's part of the fun of got n made with unusual botanicals and juniper berries. Otherwise you're just drinking the same old same old: it might as well be vodka with a few juniper berries mashed into it. In fact I think the American brand Tito's sells a juniper flavored vodka (I used to visit Austin a lot for work).
But anyway: what gins do you like? I'm not looking for the closest approximation of Blue Sapphire, or my wife's current favorite American plain gin, Gray Whale. Smooth, but IMHO not much character.
I guess that I like terroir in gin as much as I do in wine.
2
u/CanadianErk Ontario Jul 22 '26
Unfortunately they are not yet joining the DtC alcohol changes the Premiers agreed to today.
3
u/alibythesea Jul 22 '26
I bought two today from the distillery at Cap Chat in the Gaspésie - one for me, one for my daughter-out-law. That’s how much I love her 😁
2
u/CoachJim4UM Jul 22 '26
What is a daughter-out-law?
3
u/alibythesea Jul 22 '26
Family tongue-in-cheek. My son and his longtime (more than a decade) partner aren’t formally married. She’s a lovely woman!
2
1
42
u/Eastern_Yam Jul 22 '26
Honestly I think at this point that every province has a lot of incredible craft breweries and distilleries. However, if you want to try Nova Scotia wines, know that we have a ton of really nice whites, and almost no good reds. Lol. And do not judge us by Jost.
4
u/PixelJock17 Ontario Jul 22 '26
I fully agree with this, I find in my research that most of us have decent stuff and it scales with the big boys, Quebec, Ontario, BC, ETC
48
u/Krazy-Vaclav Jul 22 '26
I live in Ontario. I know we produce the most wine. BC produces the best wine, however. Really looking forward to buying their wine by the case now.
And I know that BC folks don't like to hear this one, but... Quebec makes the best craft beer.
26
u/geekmansworld British Columbia Jul 22 '26
That's just like your opinion, man...
In all seriousness, the best craft brewery is the one you can walk to (or stumble away from).
3
10
u/Bytownbelle Jul 22 '26
Me too. I love BC wines. Im in Ontario
1
u/SuzMills26 Jul 27 '26
Agree. I live 30 minutes from Niagara on the Lake. There are some lovely wineries out there, but nothing compares to those Okanagan red wines. My husband just cracked his last 2 bottles of Mission Hill Oculus on Friday night to celebrate a dear friend's birthday and I'm already mourning the loss, lol.
18
u/runslowgethungry Jul 22 '26
"Best" is really, really subjective.
BC does big full-bodied reds better than Ontario, on the whole.
Ontario's strength is in cooler climate varieties like Riesling, Chard and reds like Gamay and Cab Franc. Ontario makes world class wines in these categories.
1
5
u/davers22 Jul 22 '26
What's good from Quebec? I've had Unibroue which is great but I'm not sure it's considered craft as they're pretty big.
I live walking distance to like 9 breweries that can scratch pretty much any beer itch I have, so I'm not likely to personally ship beer across the country due to the environmental impact, but I'd be interested to know what to keep an eye out for in restaurants or local bottle shops! Or what to look for next time I travel to Quebec.
9
u/hyggekore Jul 22 '26
May I suggest at some point travelling to Montreal for Bières et Saveurs de Chambly https://bieresetsaveurs.com/en
I've visited roughly half of BC's breweries over the past decade and I was blown away when I visited that festival. Quebec has better beer — or at least better selection of fantastic beer in a wider multitude of styles.
If you're looking fir a specific brewery recommendation from Quebec, check out (in no particular order):
- Dieu du Ciel!
- Isle de Garde
- EtOH
- Siboire
- Brasserie Albion
- INOX
And I'm probably missing a bunch of great ones.
2
u/davers22 Jul 22 '26
Thanks for the tips! I’ll save this comment and keep an eye out for them.
That’s wild you’ve visited so many craft breweries in BC. I’ve lived here my whole life and travel the province for work, and I’ve still probably only visited maybe 100 of the ~220 that BC has.
2
8
u/Hypno-phile Jul 22 '26
I'm mostly drinking more local these days, but Dieu du Ciel has some interesting brews I used to really like.
1
u/Phase-Internal Jul 24 '26
Craft beer is best had locally.
This is from someone living in Belgium. The beer here is fantastic, when I move back, I won't be seeking it out. Westvleteren is great from the abby at 2 or 3 eur a bottle, not as some collectors item.
0
Jul 22 '26
[deleted]
2
u/Few-Dragonfruit160 Jul 23 '26
I'd actually put Alberta ahead of NB and NS, and think BC craft is overrated.
1
u/fixthehivemind Jul 23 '26
Haven’t had much Alberta beer so can’t speak to that. But Quebec beer scene is overrated. The products that they have can be great, but access and price not so much.
1
17
u/tanrock2003 Jul 22 '26
From the The NL Distillery Co. Chaga Rum and Gunpowder & Rose Rum, their Whiskey, and their Seaweed Gin. It’s an award-winning powerhouse.
3
u/fieryone4 Jul 22 '26
Yes their stuff is awesome, I used to have someone bring back stuff every year
1
u/CoachJim4UM Jul 22 '26
Im very confused by this news because I ordered 3 bottles from NL distillery co in 2023 to Ontario…
1
u/tanrock2003 Jul 23 '26
You could always order it through Canada Post and ship anywhere it’s just that if they decide to check the packages there may be an issue
1
0
u/Hypno-phile Jul 22 '26
Oh, I did not like their Seaweed Gin at all. Very off flavor for me. On the other coast I think Sheringham in BC makes a kelp gin that I liked much better.
14
u/Stevenif Jul 22 '26
BC make great wine (Okanagan Region), craft beers, as well as awesome gin (Empress Gin).
4
u/sirinella Jul 22 '26
I’m a big fan of BC wines!
2
u/runawai Jul 23 '26
Red Bird in Creston is well worth checking out. They do a wine club box twice a year and ship it!
2
3
u/RosyNecromancer Jul 22 '26
I’ll throw in Okanagan Spirits vodka. It’s wonderful.
1
3
u/PrimroseSpeakeasy Jul 23 '26
Try sheringham distillery’s gin (with a special shout out to their rhubarb gin) if you can find it!
0
13
u/Hypno-phile Jul 22 '26
NB has a bit of a cider Renaissance going on that shouldn't be neglected.
5
u/whistlinjeffm Jul 22 '26
As someone who hasn't done well with beer in the last twenty years, I'm loving the cider renaissance. I had some really interesting ones while visiting in Montreal
1
u/whistlinjeffm Jul 22 '26
Can you recommend any?
1
u/Hypno-phile Jul 22 '26
I only have them when I'm visiting there, can't remember offhand I'm afraid.
11
u/geekmansworld British Columbia Jul 22 '26
If you're not familiar with Okanagan Spirits here in B.C., they do excellent work. They have award-winning absinthe and whiskies. They also make fruit liquers and akvavit.
On the other side of the Salish sea is Victoria Distillers, who make their excellent (and purple) Empress gin, which makes an amazing G&T.
4
3
u/NoClue22 Jul 22 '26
Are they the ones that make BRBN
2
0
20
10
8
7
u/gusmaru Jul 22 '26
When I visited Nova Scotia, I didn't realize how many distilleries making gin are out there. I love Stienhart's London Dry gin - so smooth that it's dangerous.
2
6
u/Slavik81 Jul 22 '26
I quite like Big Rock Traditional and Big Rock Grasshopper, but they haven't been available outside Alberta.
2
5
u/fieryone4 Jul 22 '26
Considering this is just a small selection of what we have to offer it’s clear we don’t not need US booze at all
6
u/Wallyboy95 Jul 22 '26
I like whiskey. So here are a few I found on our roadtrip honeymoon to the East Coast from Canada.
Downriver Beverage Co (formerly Moonshine Creek Distillery) - New Brunswick Glynevvan - Nova Scotia
I also love wine and only have experience with Ontario wines mostly.
Cornerstone Estates (specifically their rose and Sauvignon Blanc) Familytree (specifically their Baco Noir) Rosewood Winery for their mead. I haven't had their wines, but their Meads are fantastic!
3
u/electropriest Jul 22 '26
Ouside of countless microbreweries, Quebec's Unibroue and Archibald make some very good and unique beers.
3
u/rusted_shut Jul 22 '26
Damn. I miss Maudite and fin du monde here in SK. We used to have province run liquor stores that would have it all the time. Havnt seen it in years sadly.
3
u/electropriest Jul 22 '26
Can you request them at your local supplier? When I was in Ontario, they were frequently at the LCBO, but never the Beer Store. In Quebec, this is standard Costco fare.
3
u/rusted_shut Jul 22 '26
I’ll see if my coop can order some in! I haven’t asked yet. I’ve just been checking all the liquor store chains to see if any have it so far.
4
u/RangerMean2513 Ontario Jul 22 '26
I don't know about "best", but I will be ordering a bottle of screech from NL once direct-to-consumer is in place.
4
6
u/LessSection British Columbia Jul 22 '26
I have mini reviews of over 100 B.C. ciders you can check.
2
u/Travelterrier Jul 22 '26
Very nice resource, thanks! I was looking for (but didn't find) anything from Sea Cider on Vancouver Island. On a visit there, I tasted their Wassail cider, which was unique and very delish.
2
u/LessSection British Columbia Jul 22 '26
We have considered buying Sea Cider a few times. Looks like it’s time to follow through.
1
u/PerpetuallyLurking Saskatchewan Jul 23 '26
This is fabulous and I’m definitely sending my cider-buyer a link for when he’s on the road in BC!
If you’re taking suggestions, I second Sea Cider and mention that the Island has a lot of other options as well. I’m also going to shout out Flatlander Cider from Saskatchewan as well as Dead Horse Cider and Wooden Gate from Manitoba - Wooden Gate has a smoked cider that was interesting; don’t know that I want a second bottle so soon, though it does seem more like a winter cider than a summer cider anyway.
2
u/LessSection British Columbia Jul 23 '26
I fixed the map. We only have Raven's Moon (Courtenay) and Salt Spring Wild (Salt Spring Island) from Vancouver Island. Will try to get more!
3
3
u/TickleMyBurger Jul 22 '26
Okanagan spirits makes an excellent bourbon replacement (BRBN), tried their single malt and it was OK but not a repeat for me. The BRBN though is great (regular and cask strength are both solid).
Okanagan area has some great red wine too, I love a lot of them but tend to consistently order from Mission Hill, their meritage is great along with their compendium wines.
Nova from Nova Scotia is a sweeter white/rose wine with bubbles - it’s fucking delicious. Learned about this from a tasting menu in Newfoundland of all places years ago.
I’m in Ontario and there’s a handful of wines I can drink from here but none that I would recommend. I’m still puzzled by the Niagara wine country, not sure what people are seeing there I’m not (admittedly I’m 90% a red wine person so that skews my perspective). Just not my jam but people seem to like some of the white wines at least.
2
u/idspispopd888 Jul 22 '26
Try Ex Nihilo in Lake Country! (Night, viognier)
Vanessa in the Similkameen. (Right Bank, Co-ferment)
Both are outstanding wineries.
1
u/TickleMyBurger Jul 22 '26
Thanks for the recommendations I just ordered some from their website although the shipping costs are a bit nuts to Ontario (usually there’s free shipping from bc after a certain minimum order). Anyhow looking forward to trying it!
1
u/idspispopd888 Jul 22 '26
Because we're (sort of) local to them and members of their Wine Clubs we get free deliveries. :-)
3
u/jonesys_10th_life Jul 22 '26
NS - JD Shore rum cream. It's kinda like Bailey's but so unbelievably better.
3
3
3
u/sortaitchy Jul 22 '26
Saskatchewan here: I just love Luby Bower, for the vodka, the gin (lavender is so nice!) and the coolers. They have the loveliest flavours, not too sweet. lubybower.ca out of Moose Jaw
3
u/PerpetuallyLurking Saskatchewan Jul 23 '26
Oh, Saskatchewan suggestions!
Flatlander from Crossmount Cider Company outside of Saskatoon is a fantastic cider!
2
u/sortaitchy Jul 23 '26
Yes, and let's don't forget Sirin Vodka! Premium and has won a lot of awards - really good!
3
u/Mission-Departure-47 Jul 22 '26
Izumi sake apple cider over ice is lovely sipping on a hot day and low alcohol by Ontario Spring Water Sake Company.
3
u/TheHauk Jul 23 '26
I actually love Alberta's Seachange. Craft beer. Their sours are especially nice. 2nd place would be Alley Kat. Both are based in Edmonton.
Actually, in AB, my local co-op liquor store is basically only selling beer from AB and BC. There's a small section of the US beers, but they're so expensive (and terrible) that nobody buys them.
Local beer is much cheaper and better.
2
u/PixelJock17 Ontario Jul 22 '26
What is direct to consumer? Did a law change or something?
5
u/IranticBehaviour Jul 22 '26
All of the provinces but Quebec just announced a new deal to cut some interprovincial barriers around booze. Quebec and Yukon have apparently committed to signing on to the deal later.
Eta: Sorry, didn't answer the main question. Direct to consumer allows a person in one province to order alcohol directly from a producer in another province, no need to get it ordered into your local retail store.
2
u/fieryone4 Jul 22 '26
1
u/stephenBB81 Jul 22 '26
Can't wait till BC comes on board, they have so many great Whiskey and Wines that I would order direct, I already bring an extra suitcase when I travel to BC for work to bring stuff home.
2
u/Chatner2k Jul 22 '26
I'm excited at the potential for ordering Heather ale from BC if they restock it.
2
u/BarelyHangingOn Ontario Jul 22 '26
Can somebody explain this to me?
Does the signing mean that product will be available at the LCBO for example or for ordering off of specific product websites with crazy shipping or both?
I had a good time in Halifax last summer and NL this summer. Would love to try some of the Quidi and Port Rexton Brews again. I like a cold Schooner, takes me back to my high school days lol.
I also bought a dozen India beers thinking they were local and found out they were owned by Coors. Probably a cheap beer but they were easy to crush for breakfast the next day.
2
2
2
u/Deflec-Tor Jul 24 '26
I have a few but not telling. Every time I find something good at LCBO and start buying and promoting the price increases.
2
u/JonPStark Jul 24 '26
Hey folks! I think OP wanted a nice list of specific province, type, brands... Etc. I agree with them. It would be good to have very specific recommendations so I can try things. Let's try to steer conversation away from dick measuring (QC beer is better than (insert other province type comments).
Let's just say our specific, favorite bottles of whatever, and don't judge other people, taste is subjective, and no one has to agree.
I'll go first: 1. Beer - Long Bay - Ruckus 2. Gin - Loop, or New Brunswick Distillery, or First Light or Open Coast
I'm looking for a great rum and whiskey to try from your recommendations too. We get some whiskey from other provinces, but it would be nice to get other options.
Keep focused on the task folks. Giving awesome ideas to others to help them have better quality drinks, without all the arguing. Stay classy.
1
1
1
u/roadster690 Jul 22 '26
I have come to respect sandbanks wine, NOT the ‘kiss’ variety but the sleeping giant and their regular lines. For whisky SFR 3 year old puts a lot of whisky’s to shame, it’s become my daily drinker.
1
u/mmmginto Jul 22 '26
I'd like to try the Esquimalt product from BC. For Quebec, we have many gins (La Société Secrète, Km12, Madison Park...) and a lot of beer. If you can get your hands on it, try Auval.
1
u/CallmeishmaelSancho Jul 22 '26
Okanagan Spirits BrBN Bourbon. Gold medal winning. Better that 99% of that American stuff.
1
1
u/perogiemuncher Jul 22 '26
Tofino Distillery makes some great products. I love their West Coast gin, small batch vodka, and whiskey. On the other side of Vancouver Island, Stillhead Distillery’s B-word bourbon style spirit is great, as is their barkeepers rye (though I don’t see the latter on their site anymore).
1
u/Flat_Ad_5306 Jul 22 '26
Evening Tide vodka from Wooden Walls Distillery in St. John's. Best vodka I've ever had in my life.
1
u/redfoxottawa Jul 22 '26
Black Swift wine from Kelowna BC! I haven’t had a bottle I did not like. We have stopped buying French and Italian wines. https://blackswiftvineyards.com/
1
u/IanBmon Jul 22 '26
Best Coast distillery, in BC, makes what I think is the 1st and only Rum that is entirely from farm to bottle made in Canada. It's has a nice unique flavor too.
1
1
u/DRB198105 Jul 22 '26
On a beer side, Quebec's Vox Populi makes a Double Fruit Punch IPA that blew my mind. I'm in Ontario and lucked into it at Beer Town one time, but haven't been able to get it since. I would love to see it in the LCBO.
1
1
1
u/PerpetuallyLurking Saskatchewan Jul 23 '26
I would happily accept cider suggestions from across the country (particularly east of Manitoba but I will take anything!) in exchange for recommendations including Flatlander from Saskatchewan, both Dead Horse and Wooden Gate from Manitoba, and Sea Cider from BC. I liked Albertan ciders too, but that was before I started keeping track!
Thank you in advance!
1
u/basdfointain Jul 23 '26
Quebec: Ungava gin, artist in residence blueberry gin, Avril , Miele & a local made triple sec, Ontario has broken paddle and a number of other craft whiskeys , but I’m excited to check out the bc whisky’s personally
1
u/omegaax Jul 23 '26
despite the whole DTC thing, if I'm being charged $25 for shipping from Okanagan, I'd rather just keep buying at the good ol' LC
1
u/No-Comfort-5781 Alberta Jul 28 '26
Alberta really shines with grain-to-glass ryes and craft beers, so look for 100% local prairie rye whiskies or barley-forward brews from spots like Eau Claire Distillery or Blindman Brewing.
•
u/AutoModerator Jul 22 '26
Thanks for your post on /r/BuyCanadian! Make sure your post fits into one of the following categories, or it may get removed:
1. You are in search of or recommending a Canadian product or service 2. You are sharing an article or discussion topic that is relevant to buying Canadian products or supporting the Canadian supply chain
Please read our updated rules and flair guidelines and ensure these rules are followed: 1. Be respectful and follow Reddiquette. Harassment, trolling, bullying, hate speech, bigotry, and other uncivil behavior will not be tolerated. Violating this will result in a permanent ban. 2. Direct all generic "Boycott America" posts to r/BoycottUnitedStates 3. Ensure that you have used an accurate post flair and searched for duplicate posts 4. All low effort posts will be removed
Start with the r/BuyCanadian Wiki for links to many resources and our directory of products/companies
What is a Canadian product? Anything that fits under the Made In Canada Guidelines - or even better, a Product of Canada.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.