Alcohol sales increased significantly in Canada from April 1, 2020 to March 31, despite restrictions and closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Statistics Canada reports that liquor companies across the country sold 2.1% more standard alcoholic beverages in 2020-21 compared to the previous year. Sales, which totaled $25.5 billion, were the biggest increase in more than a decade, partly due to inflation.
Beer remained the alcoholic drink of choice for Canadians, but it continued to lose market share to spirits, ciders and coolers.
Beer was responsible for 36% of total alcohol sales in 2020-2021, but lost 2.1% of its market share. Wine, which accounted for 31.4% of total sales, also lost 0.6% of market share.
Statistics Canada observed that beer and wine lost market share to spirits, which were up 0.9%, and ciders and coolers which rose 1.8%. Spirits accounted for 25.4% of total alcohol sales, compared to 7.2% for ciders and coolers.
Beer was the alcoholic beverage of choice in much of Canada in 2020-2021, but wine ranked first in Quebec, with 43.5% of total sales, and in British Columbia, with 33, 4%.
From 2010-2011 to 2020-2021, gin sales volume increased by 81.8%. Quebec contributed the most to the increase in these sales, followed by Ontario.
Finally, Statistics Canada found that in 2020-21, Canadians purchased 40.2% more ciders and coolers than in the previous fiscal year, the largest sales increase of any beverage category on record. since Statistics Canada began collecting alcohol sales data in 1949.