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Selling beer, wine, cider and spirits in Canada

In Canada, alcoholic drinks are food under the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act, with standards for beer, wine, cider and the main spirits. The CFIA enforces federal labelling. Provinces control sale: liquor imported into a province is consigned to its liquor authority, and provincial boards may add their own requirements.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Federal labelling
Food and Drug Regulations; Safe Food for Canadians Regulations
Alcohol by volume
Declared at 1.1% and above, on the principal display panel
Label language
English and French; some spirit names count as bilingual
Import into a province
Consigned to the provincial liquor authority
Excise
Spirits and wine licences under the Excise Act, 2001

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Does the drink meet a standard, and which common name must it use? Read more
  2. 2What does the label show, and in which languages? Read more
  3. 3Which allergens and ingredients must be declared? Read more
  4. 4If it is wine, is the container a permitted size and is the origin shown? Read more
  5. 5Which province will it be sold in, and through which liquor authority? Read more
  6. 6Who holds the excise licence, and who imports? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Standards of identity and common names

Names and compositions set for beer, wine, cider and spirits.

  • Volume 2 of the Canadian Food Compositional Standards, incorporated into the FDR, sets standards for whisky, rum, gin, brandy, liqueur and spirituous cordials, vodka, wine, cider and beer; icewine is in volume 8 of the Canadian Standards of Identity.
  • Beer names follow alcohol content: extra light beer (1.1 to 2.5%), light beer (2.6 to 4.0%), beer (4.1 to 5.5%), strong beer (5.6 to 8.5%) and extra strong beer (8.6% or more).
  • Consumer prepackaged wine traded between provinces or imported is sold in 50, 100, 200, 250, 375, 500 or 750 mL, or 1, 1.5, 2, 3 or 4 L containers (sections 187 and 188, SFCR).
  • Standardised wines show a clear country of origin, in English and French, on the principal display panel (B.02.108, FDR).
  • Certain spirit names are restricted to spirits from specific countries under the Spirit Drinks Trade Act, administered by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the name, container size and origin on your label against the standard the drink claims, and keeps the evidence behind them with the product. Ask about this

Labelling

What an alcoholic drink's label shows under federal rules.

  • Drinks with 1.1% alcohol by volume or more declare it on the principal display panel, as "X % alcohol by volume" or an accepted abbreviation such as "X % alc./vol." (B.02.003, FDR).
  • The common name appears in English and French; listed names such as Bourbon, Rye Whisky, Tequila and Triple Sec are treated as bilingual.
  • Standardised drinks are exempt from a list of ingredients, as are Scotch and Irish whisky, Cognac and Armagnac brandy, bourbon and Tennessee whisky, tequila and mezcal; other drinks list their ingredients.
  • Food allergen and gluten sources, and added sulphites at 10 ppm or more, are declared on all alcoholic drinks, even those exempt from an ingredient list.
  • Drinks above 0.5% alcohol are usually exempt from the Nutrition Facts table and conditionally from the front-of-package symbol; a nutrient content claim can remove both exemptions.

How we help: Compliant Always sets the federal particulars beside your label, in both languages, and flags the allergen and alcohol declarations it needs. Ask about this

Provincial control, import and excise

Who may bring alcohol into a province, and the federal excise licences behind production.

  • No person may import intoxicating liquor into a province from outside Canada unless it is purchased by, and consigned to, the province's government or the provincial body authorised to sell liquor, subject to listed exceptions (section 3, Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act).
  • Alcoholic drinks sold within certain provinces and territories may have to meet specific requirements set by their liquor boards, such as the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
  • No person may produce or package spirits except under a spirits licence, or wine except under a wine licence (sections 60 and 62, Excise Act, 2001).
  • Duty is imposed on spirits produced in Canada and on wine packaged in Canada (sections 122 and 135, Excise Act, 2001).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the licences, listings and certificates each province and buyer asks for with the product, and shows which are expiring. Ask about this

Licensing, traceability and recalls

The Safe Food for Canadians duties that apply to alcohol as food.

  • Alcoholic drinks are subject to the SFCA and SFCR, as well as the FDA and FDR, whatever the level of trade.
  • Traceability documents record the lot code, the supplier and the customer, are kept two years and are provided to the CFIA within 24 hours of a request.
  • Operators keep a recall procedure and notify the Minister immediately when a food presenting a risk to health should be recalled.

How we help: Compliant Always ties each document to the lot it covers, so a recall or a board's question is answered from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Producer or brandThe name, label and composition against the standard, and its excise licence.Label, specifications and licences kept together and dated.
Importer or agentBringing the drink to the provincial liquor authority it is consigned to.Suppliers' certificates and lab reports read before the shipment leaves.
Provincial liquor boardBuying, listing and selling in its province, and its own requirements.The documents a board asks for, drawn from the record.

Provinces and territories

Federal labelling and composition rules apply across Canada. Sale is provincial: liquor imported into a province is consigned to the province's liquor authority, and boards such as the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission may set their own requirements.

Selling in more than one province means meeting the federal rules and the requirements of each board.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates alcohol labelling in Canada?
Federally, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces labelling under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations and the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations. Provincial and territorial liquor boards may add their own requirements.
When must alcohol content be on the label in Canada?
Drinks containing 1.1% or more alcohol by volume declare it on the principal display panel, as "X % alcohol by volume" or an accepted abbreviation such as "X % alc./vol." (B.02.003, FDR).
Do wine and beer labels need an ingredients list in Canada?
Not when they meet a standard in the Canadian Food Compositional Standards. They must still declare food allergen and gluten sources and added sulphites at 10 ppm or more.
Do alcohol labels have to be bilingual in Canada?
Yes. The common name and other mandatory information appear in English and French. Certain listed names, such as Bourbon, Rye Whisky, Tequila and Triple Sec, are treated as bilingual common names.
Can I import wine or spirits directly to customers in Canada?
Generally no. Liquor imported into a province from outside Canada must be purchased by and consigned to the province's government or its authorised liquor body, subject to the exceptions in the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act.
What container sizes are allowed for wine in Canada?
Consumer prepackaged wine traded between provinces or imported must be in 50, 100, 200, 250, 375, 500 or 750 mL, or 1, 1.5, 2, 3 or 4 L containers, with some exceptions.
How must beer be named in Canada?
By alcohol content: extra light beer (1.1 to 2.5%), light beer (2.6 to 4.0%), beer (4.1 to 5.5%), strong beer (5.6 to 8.5%) and extra strong beer (8.6% or more).
Does alcohol need a Nutrition Facts table in Canada?
Drinks with more than 0.5% alcohol are usually exempt, unless the exemption is lost, for example by making a nutrient content claim. The alcohol by volume declaration alone does not trigger nutrition labelling.
Who needs an excise licence for alcohol in Canada?
Under the Excise Act, 2001, no person may produce or package spirits without a spirits licence, or wine without a wine licence.
Is the US government warning accepted on labels in Canada?
The CFIA says the US Surgeon General warning on imported alcoholic beverages is acceptable in Canada.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Canada?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including Canada's federal rules and the bilingual labelling they share. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Canada and what your paperwork needs to show.

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