Toronto 
2023 in Ontario was the year of savvy sippers and tequila tippers!
Credit: LCBO
2023 was the year when Ontarians decided to give their wallets a break without compromising their taste buds, says LCBO in their annual press release on what Ontarians were drinking from November 6, 2022, to November 4, 2023.
The tequila lovers still had their fun finds LCBO, with a 16% increase. Seems like everyone still wanted a sip of that celebrity-endorsed, wine-barrel-aged, fancy-packaged, 100% agave magic.
The beer world saw mainstream Canadian beers becoming the new cool kids, outshining those high-brow premium and craft beers. But craft beer aficionados didn’t budge, sticking to their beloved IPAs like loyal old friends.
Then came the RTD (Ready-to-Drink) revolution, with pre-mixed cocktails and coolers strutting their stuff with a 10% growth in popularity. Canned cocktails saw a whopping 40% growth, probably because of their convenience and the endless array of new brands.
In vino veritas, as they say, and sparkling wines were the toast of the town, with prosecco leading the parade. Customers, perhaps tired of the heavy stuff, leaned towards lighter reds, rosés, and white wines. And for those looking for a bargain without skimping on quality, Portuguese and Chilean wines were the unsung heroes.
The real MVPs, though, were the 3L boxed wines and the cute little 375ml bottles, showing a remarkable growth in sales. In a twist that might make traditionalists gasp, light, low-alcohol, and dealcoholized wines gained more fans, proving that sometimes less really is more.
In the words of VP Abhay Garg, Ontarians smartly tailored their tastes to balance quality, budget, and a bit of moderation.
Cheers to that!
