Sask. still has American alcohol for sale, but fewer people are buying it

Sask. still has American alcohol for sale, but fewer people are buying it

Provincial wholesaler reports 40 per cent decline in American liquor sales during the 2025-26 fiscal year

Saskatchewan is one of two provinces in Canada that continues to offer American-made alcohol on liquor store shelves, but the latest data shows fewer people are buying it.

The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association, which functions as the province's liquor wholesaler, has confirmed that the volume of U.S.-produced alcohol sold declined by approximately 40 per cent during the 2025-26 fiscal year.

That matches up with the firsthand experience of Bogden Anghel, the liquor store manager at the Sherwood Co-op on Quance Street in Regina.

"If we're talking specifically about wines and liquor, we definitely noticed that there is a trend. People are moving away from American products and they're trying to support as much as possible the Canadian wines and spirits," Anghel said.

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Saskatchewan and Alberta are the only two provinces in the country that continue to offer American alcohol. Other provinces removed it in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threats against Canada.

For 12 weeks in 2025, Saskatchewan briefly chose the same path before quietly reversing course.

A Nanos Research poll published last month found 69 per cent of Canadians said they weren't likely to buy American alcohol if it goes back on store shelves.

Troy Verboom, the CEO of Sherwood Co-op, said the store has chosen to continue stocking American products to give customers a choice.

That doesn't mean the company hasn't made changes, Verboom said.

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Across Sherwood Co-op's three liquor stores in Regina, there has been a significant drop in sales for U.S.-produced wines.

"If something sits on our shelf too long, it's not moving, we're gonna do something with it, and we're gonna put something in that space that is going to sell," Verboom said.

Anghel, who is also a trained somelier, said he's brought in more Canadian and international wines to serve as replacements.

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Certain Amercian liquors are simply impossible to reproduce, Anghel said.

"Bourbon is one that, unfortunately, you cannot find a substitute because it's such a unique flavour and taste."

The decision to continue offering American alcohol has paid off, Verboom said.

"We've had people from Manitoba come in here, buy some product and thank us for having it because they can't get it in their home province."

Sources have recently told CBC that the Canadian government is prepared to meet some U.S. trade demands, including an end to bans on American alcohol sales.

Trump has threatened a new 50 per cent levy on hundreds of Canadian imports by Aug. 19, citing a list of grievances, including provincial booze bans.

The data from Saskatchewan suggests that even if American liquor is stocked again, fewer Canadians may be interested in buying it.

Alexander Quon is the provincial affairs reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. He has been a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan since 2021 and is happy to be working in his hometown of Regina after half a decade in Atlantic Canada. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in freedom of information requests and data reporting. He can be reached at: alexander.quon@cbc.ca.