American Alcohol Brands Like White Claw and Jack Daniel’s Continue to Vanish From Canadian Shelves As Trade War Escalates

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On Thursday, Saskatchewan became the latest Canadian province to pull American alcohol brands from liquor store shelves. The move follows President Donald Trump's 25% tariff temporarily imposed on Canadian goods earlier this month, which has been reciprocated with the removal of billions of dollars worth of spirits, wine and beer by Canada's state-run liquor distributors. Unlike other provinces, Saskatchewan has decided against removing American alcohol entirely. Officials are instead targeting recognizably American brands, despite the fact that several are manufactured and bottled locally north of the border. The list includes an assortment of AB InBev products like Bud Light, Budweiser and Busch alongside staples like White Claw, Coors and Jack Daniel's Punch. Even Costco's Kirkland Spirits and Wine warranted a shoutout.

"We put together a list that showed all of the traditional American brands," Alana Ross, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, told reporters. "In order to have more impact with the tariffs we are currently facing, we made the decision to stop ordering... There’s all kinds of brand out there. There’s many Canadian brands. There’s many Saskatchewan brands. There’s always the possibility of substituting the American brands with our locally produced brands of alcohol.”

[caption id="attachment_103808" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. (Photo: The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority)[/caption] Ontario Premier Doug Ford was the first Canadian official to follow through on a similar threat. Earlier this month, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario stopped supplying American alcohol — without exception — to wholesale retailers, bars, restaurants and online services in the province. The LCBO is responsible for distributing alcohol to nearly 40% of Canada’s population, pulling in a gross revenue of $7.4 billion in 2023. Videos circulated online showed bottles like Bulleit Bourbon being yanked from shelves and replaced with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs. Quebec Premier François Legault did much the same, announcing that the province’s official retailer, Société des alcools du Québec, would be replacing American alcohol with Quebecois and Canadian goods. Other officials have taken a targeted approach. British Columbia decided to halt liquor imports from the 31 red states that voted for Donald Trump in 2024. Those include Kentucky, home to 95% of the world's commercially available bourbon, and Texas, home to Tito's Handmade Vodka. These actions have been made possible thanks to Canada's consolidated alcohol system. In a majority of areas throughout the country, alcohol is primarily available through provincially owned and distributed liquor stores. A similar system exists in American "control" states like Pennsylvania, Alabama, Michigan and West Virginia. [callout-app-promo]