The province’s craft distillers say governmental regulations are preventing them from growing and represent a missed opportunity to support B.C.-grown businesses, as the government is urging people to buy Canadian.
Craft distillers are subject to production caps that industry representatives say effectively penalize companies that produce too much.
The Craft Distillers Guild of BC, the organization that represents the micro-distilleries in the province, says the caps are prohibitive and prevent them from growing.
“You’re going to see more distilleries shutting down,” said Tyler Dyck, the President of the Craft Distillers Guild of BC, in an interview with 1130 NewsRadio.
However, he says it does not need to be that way. Dyck says he and other industry representatives will be meeting with B.C.’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Lana Popham, on Monday.
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They’re hopeful Popham will tell them she is lifting the regulations.
Dyck says B.C. is currently missing out on a huge opportunity to uplift local businesses at a time when liquor from the United States is being pulled off the shelves.
“They keep us shackled on the sidelines,” he said.
He claims the province could make up for the losses in tax revenue if it were easier for craft distillers to sell their product or sell more of it.
Dyck says the province’s agriculture has a “golden opportunity” upon it, if it makes significant changes to how the Liquor Distribution Board (LDB) regulates its sector.
“You have a success story that proves that it makes a huge amount of money for the province and creates culture. It is just asinine that they haven’t changed it,” Dyck said.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, the LDB was directed in Spring 2025 to explore ways to reduce barriers for B.C. manufacturers to access empty shelf space at BCLIQUOR (BCL) stores following the removal of U.S.-made products.
“I have been hearing from distillers and producers about the challenges they have been facing in this market,” said Minister Popham in a statement to 1130 NewsRadio.
“I am committed to working with the sector to help make sure they can get their amazing B.C. products on shelves.”
However, many micro-distilleries say they can not sell their products at BC Liquor Stores because the province puts a 124 per cent markup on those products.
They say that means that it is almost impossible to justify the cost, a problem that larger, commercial distilleries can compensate for much more easily.