The new liquor framework under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (LLCA) will allow liquor sales licensees to infuse liquor to create drinks or change the flavour of liquor through practices such as barrel aging, as long as the customer is informed.
The ABV limits that wine and brewpubs are currently subject to will also be removed. Wine pubs will be permitted to sell wine with greater than 14% ABV, and brewpubs will be able to sell beer with greater than 6.5% ABV.
A new “take home the rest” rule has also been enacted, which will allow patrons to bring any unfinished alcohol home with them, so long as the bottle is corked or safely secured.
Finally, liquor sales licensees will no longer be required to provide light meals, meaning it’s quite possible that very soon, Toronto will begin to see wine bars and beer halls that do not offer menus.
Restaurant and bar owners with existing licenses, permits, and/or authorizations will automatically transition to the new liquor framework.