Can you buy liquor in bulk in Ontario, Canada?

Factual Questions
1

There is really no way of asking questions like these without looking childish and ignorant, so I’ll cut to the chase.

Ever since I turned 19 (the legal drinking age here) I’ve gone to the LCBO in my city in Ontario two or three times a month and I’ve never really been turned off by prices, just happy to finally be old enough to buy my own drinks.

However, since a couple of friends of mine came back from Quebec I’ve been forced to realize I don’t know the first thing about drinking for cheap in my own province. They came back telling me things like a bottle of whiskey that’s $25 in Ontario is around $15 in Quebec for the equivalent amount (not necessarily the same brand). Things like the $13.50 mickey-sized bottle of vodka here is 7 or 8 bucks one province over, and so on.

All of this has set my mind in motion. I’ve heard before that people in Ontario get hosed as far as liquor prices go and never gave it much thought. Half the cardboard boxes in my house I get out of the basement when I need one for general chores have written on them that they were boxes for 24 or 48 bottles of scotch or whiskey or rum, 12 bottles of vodka, etc, and I’ve only just realized I don’t even know if it’s possible to buy spirits (I’m not talking beer or wine in this thread) in bulk anymore, but if you can, it’s surely a bit cheaper than what I’m doing now. Those boxes, for all I know, are shipping boxes received by an LCBO store and just given to customers to carry out your purchase and that it’s not possible to buy booze in bulk anyway, but I don’t know.

So my questions are -

Can you buy spirits in bulk in Ontario?

If so, how and where?

Is the LCBO the only place to buy liquor in this province? (I’m sure it is but it can’t hurt to ask).

If you want a couple of 500ml/1L/2L bottles of whatever spirit you prefer to have around the house to pour yourself a drink whenever you want, is there a cheaper way than just going to the LCBO and buying there? Does the LCBO itself have discounts for buying several things at once? Is there any other option?

Can you buy spirits online in Ontario?

Does anyone that has lived here or still does have any tips for cheap drinking for someone that doesn’t like to go to bars? Nothing illegal, please.

Thanks for any help. Perhaps these are dumb questions but I’m 20 years old and this is the kind of thing I’ll never learn if I don’t ask and I’d rather know the answers to now than ten years down the road. Again, thanks for any help.

2

LCBO does special orders.

Years back, I wanted to buy “Inferno,” a hot pepper infused vodka perfect for a nice Caesar. Sadly, they stopped selling it retail. I called the LCBO and told me that I could, but I would have to purchase at least a case, which is more vodka than I typically go through in…well, basically, since I was old enough to drink about 6 years ago! :smiley:

http://service.lcbo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/292/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvc2lkL2NsanRHT0Nr

It’s not gonna be cheaper, though, I suspect.

If you wanna get drunk on the cheap, home brew is your best best. I make my own wine. If wine’s not to your liking, you can make beer! I can buy a two-litre jug of the “Great Canadian Beer Kit” for about 3 bucks. Drop a yeast pill in, leave it on your counter, and let it ferment for two weeks. 6 pack for three bucks, in effect. It’s cheap because they’re not selling you finished alcohol, and gets around a lot tax hoops.

Spirits? I got nothing. Sorry man!

3

I am not a Canadian, and have no idea how prices might compare between provinces up there - but when looking at prices, I would encourage you to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.

Saying different brands have can have different prices for the same size bottle is a little like saying a Mercedes can cost more than a Chevy…when it comes to things like whiskey, I’m not saying you necessarily need to buy the most expensive stuff - BUT you do probably want to steer well clear of the very cheapest stuff.

4

There are no discounts for buying in bulk through the LCBO. You can get Beer at the Beer Store and wine in Wine Shops in grocery stores and at vineyards, but the LCBO is the only place for liquor. Even restaurants must purchase from one of these licensed retailers.

As for prices in Québec: I can’t comment on the hard liquor (though a simple comparison of prices online could tell you…the SAQwebpage is down at the moment) , but in general beer is cheaper here, while wine tends to be approximately $2-3 cheaper in Ontario.

5

According to a friend down south who just went to a liquor store, a small bottle of Jack is $21.99 or so (some American correct if I’m wrong). In Ottawa that same bottle is 30 dollars. :mad:

So, Apples to Apples, Sour Mash to Sour Mash, sadly!

6

I had no idea wine was cheaper here! I make my own, though, so it’s a moot point.

I usually buy a six pack of PBR every other week for 11 bucks just so I have something in my fridge. I could buy twelve for almost the same price in K-beck! :eek:

7

At the liquor stores where I shop (in Texas) I’d say $18-$20 for a 750ml bottle of Jack Daniels is about right.

(The last time I was in Brazil I took a picture of one in a store window, going for the equivalent of about $45 US as I recall - what I’d expect to pay for a bottle of decent single malt Scotch here in the US)

8

What annoys me is that a lot of locally produced alcoholic beverages like Jameson are way more expensive here than in pretty much any other country I’ve visited. The cheapest that I recall was Germany. Unglaublich!

9

Thanks for the help, guys, very much appreciated. Anyone got anything else?

10

I moved to Southwest Ontario from New Jersey in July of 2012. Was hoping for a better answer to this thread, but it looks like homebrewing is the best bet. I’m experimenting with freeze distillation of rum mash, which is legal. Only heat distillation is illegal. Check it out online and with your local home brew supply shop. Always ask questions, homebrewers love helping others out. Cheapest decent stuff to brew in my opinion is frozen cranberry juice concentrate wine. Good luck and happy brewing!