Line ups outside Manitoba Liquor Marts for first day of holiday U.S. booze blitz

Premier Wab Kinew said the first day of U.S. liquor being available for sale in Manitoba once again has exceeded expectations.

Shoppers thirsty for a taste of Tennessee whiskey or California-grown cabernet sauvignon lined up outside Manitoba Liquor Marts as American-made booze hit the shelves once again.

About a dozen people waited patiently outside Crestview Liquor Mart before the store’s opening on Wednesday, peering inside the window in hopes of spotting their gone but not forgotten American drink of choice.

“I’m first in line,” one shopper told CTV News. “I came for the Kraken rum. My son likes it, and I thought I’d get it for Christmas, and we can’t get it unless we come here today.”

“Definitely here for the bourbon,” another patient shopper said. “It’s only made in the U.S. so that’s why I’m here, for specialty cocktails over Christmas.”

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL) tells CTV News all Liquor Mart locations selling American-made alcohol reported long lineups at store opening and heavy traffic into the afternoon.

“Some locations have already sold through their first round of inventory of the most popular brands,” an MBLL spokesperson wrote in an email.

The spokesperson added stores will put out items as they arrive, and customers should stop by again if they didn’t find what they were looking for during their first try.

“Your favourite brand may still hit the shelf tomorrow and over the weekend,” the statement said.

The hottest sellers? Top-shelf bourbons and premium California wines. Some flavoured vodkas and liqueurs were also popular picks, MBLL said.

The Crown corporation added that inventory is being put out in waves. The first round saw the top 100 selling items hit shelves, but many more popular brands are expected to arrive tomorrow and into next week.

“Manitobans should keep an eye on LiquorMarts.ca; we will update the list of available US items as the next wave of inventory ships to Liquor Marts,” the spokesperson said.

Province will ‘continue to assess’ remaining U.S. stock

The U.S. wine and spirits are here for a good time, not a long time, as the saying goes.

The Manitoba government announced last week it would nix the tariff-fueled ban on about $1 million worth of American booze until Christmas Eve in a bid to raise cash for Cheer Boards in Winnipeg, Thompson and Brandon.

“Manitobans have been resilient against Donald Trump’s tariffs and deserve some holiday cheer,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said in a news release last week.

“We are offering people a chance to give back to the most vulnerable families during this holiday season.”

Kinew said $500,000 from the yuletide U.S. booze blitz will go to the Manitoba charities.

Meanwhile, the province has still not committed to buying any new U.S. alcohol products, but some of the items pulled from shelves and put in storage in March have expiry dates and should be sold.

“U.S. liquor will still be available until Dec. 24, and we are pleased by the incredible generosity of Manitobans displayed at Liquor Marts today,” a spokesperson for the Manitoba government wrote in a statement to CTV News.

“We will continue to assess the situation in regard to the remaining U.S. stock.”