Liquor Purchase Options For Licensee and Special Event Permit Holders
For Licensees and Special Event Permits, the recent strike impacting LDB created a new challenge to add to low staffing levels; and a hospitality sector still reeling from pandemic restrictions.
For Licensees, and Special Event Permits, the recent strike impacting LDB created a new challenge to add to low staffing levels; and a hospitality sector still reeling from Pandemic restrictions.
To avoid such a situation, it is always good to be reminded of where you can source legitimate products; and to be aware of how you are expected to prove none of your stock is illicit. This is different for each class of licence, so for ease of reference, we have summarized it here:
- Cannabis Retail Stores – Licensees may only source products containing cannabis from LDB in BC.
- Licensee Retail Stores (Private Liquor Stores)- Licensees can source stock from LDB, LDB Agents (such as BDL), and direct from BC-based and licensed Liquor Manufacturers.
- Rural Licensee Retail Stores – As with Licensee Retail Stores
- Licensed Caterers; Liquor and Food Primary Hospitality Outlets – Licensees can source stock from LDB, LDB Agents (such as BDL), and direct from BC-based and licensed Liquor Manufacturers. Where a hospitality outlet is approved to use a Rural Licensee Retail Store, and the store is authorized by LCRB to supply them, they may also source liquor there.
Special Event Permit Holders may purchase liquor from the following:
- BC LiquorStores location (government liquor store)
- B.C. winery with an on-site store
- B.C. brewery with an on-site store
- B.C. distillery with an on-site store
- Licensee Retail Store (private liquor store)
- Wine Store (excluding sacramental wine store)
- Special Wine Store
- Rural Licensee Retail Store
- What to know
All licensees must be in a position to show proof of legitimate purchase to an LCRB Inspector on demand. This means copies of purchase receipts or invoices must be available on-site – In the current situation, the requirements have not changed. Special Event permit holders must keep receipts for their liquor purchases with a copy of their permit at the event site:
It is important to ensure that your stock consists only of items that can be purchased from legitimate sources; and that all invoices or records you keep indicate that your stock was not purchased elsewhere (for example, outside of BC). In the past, issues have arisen where licensees have stocked up with Liquor brands which are not available in BC. Flags such as these will attract the attention of LCRB Inspectors.
Hopefully, the LDB workforce returning to work will help alleviate supply chain issues, but we hope that you may find some options for a product purchase that you were perhaps unaware of in this article; and remain well informed as regards compliance requirements.
