@chas Alcohol sales in Ontario (and I believe most other Canadian provinces) are all controlled by arms length government entities that import and manage the sale of liquor. Here you can only buy spirits from the LCBO (short for Liquor Control Board of Ontario). Beer and prepackaged mixed drinks, up until a couple years ago, were only sold at LCBO (depending on the alcohol content) and the Beer Store (privately owned by brewers, but isn’t allowed to sell spirits. For example, Twisted Tea, a hard canned iced tea, is made with malt liquor if you buy it at the beer store, but vodka at the LCBO). Wine is its own category and has been sold in little kiosks in some grocery stores for a number of years but the stores are separate from the grocery and they are only allowed to sell products from their own winery. Distilleries, wineries, and breweries are allowed to sell their products in their on site stores as well. Recently, wine, beer, and packaged mixed drinks (again, depending on alcohol content) have been allowed into grocery and convenience stores.
TLDR: The Government of Ontario controls the sale of spirits in Ontario. It is similar in other provinces.
