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Ontarians bought more booze in the previous fiscal year than ever before, with sales at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario topping $5-billion for the first time. The growth was fuelled in part by rising sales of local craft products such as cider, beer and spirits.


The surge in craft

Sales of craft cider nearly doubled to $4-million, craft spirits earned $6.7-million and craft beer rose to $68.3-million.

(More: Craft brewers raise a glass to cider’s growing popularity)


Who’s buying what?

The craft products' sales were still a drop in the bucket, so to speak. At $2-billion, spirits was by far the LCBO’s largest sales category.


How much is the LCBO making?


How much is the government making?

The net sales growth at the LCBO in fiscal 2014-15 was 4.3 per cent and the Crown agency transferred a dividend of about $1.8-billion to the Ontario government, excluding taxes.


Hey, where’s my liquor in grocery stores, anyway?

A government-appointed advisory group that recommended changes to beer sales in Ontario, including selling six-packs in grocery stores, is now looking at wine and spirits, but has ruled out a sale of the LCBO.

(Beer Store: Adrian Morrow explains Ontario’s beer monopoly)