CALGARY, AB – The Government of Alberta has announced that effective August 15th, small breweries and distilleries in the province will be allowed to sell beer and spirits at farmers’ and artisan markets.
“This is yet another way the Government of Alberta is cutting red tape and eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens on small businesses and consumers,” says Joe Ceci, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance. “This policy also builds a new connection between local business and their local community while increasing access to locally made liquor products. This creates new business opportunities for entrepreneurs who are truly at the heart of this policy change.”
In response to the new policy, the Alberta Small Brewers Association stated that it “has been advocating for this change for the past several years, and we are enthusiastic about working in this new environment. We thank the AGLC and the Honourable Joe Ceci, Minister of Treasury and Finance, for working to make these changes possible.”
More than 125 approved farmers’ markets in Alberta will be eligible to allow beer and liquor sales, with these new vendors joining local winemakers who were already allowed to vend based on an earlier policy.
For more details, see the full statements from the Government of Alberta and the ASBA.
Photo (L-R): Graham Sherman (Tool Shed Brewery); The Honourable Joe Ceci; Andrea Lau (Bridgeland Riverside Farmers market); Alain Maisonneuve (AGLC); Colin McLean (Banded Peak Brewing); and Chris Heier (Half Hitch Brewing).