Here’s what Ontario drank the most in 2023 according to the LCBO

Congrats Ontario, you’ve made some smart decisions this year when it came to your purchases at the LCBO. Though we do love to save a few bucks, when it comes to quality, we stick to our favourites. How do we know? Well, it’s that time of the year again, when the LCBO exposes our drinking choices of 2023.

According to the LCBO, after gathering information between November 6, 2022 to November 4, 2023, they’ve found that in 2023, there was a shift in customer purchasing behaviour as many Ontarians made more “mindful choices.”

“As Ontarians looked to reduce their spending, there was a clear shift in their drinking choices,” said Abhay Garg, Vice President of merchandising.

“We pride ourselves on having a product selection that caters to every taste and budget, so it remains easy to find the perfect choice.”

But that doesn’t mean we stop spending money on more value-based drinks – like tequila.

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Not much of a shocker but the so-called “tequila frenzy” from last year continued right into 2023, according to the LCBO.

It did continue at a slower rate, 16% more than the previous year, but overall there has been 44% growth in the last two.

Customers were interested in celebrity-backed brands, innovative finishes, eye-grabbing packaging, and that 100% agave.

As for beer, according to the LCBO, “the value-based trend continued with the mainstream Canadian beer (+10%) outpacing demand for premium and craft beer.”

Customers were adventurous, testing IPAs throughout the year – it remained popular just like the previous year.

Don’t forget about coolers! These ready-to-drink, pre-mixed cocktails also continued to grow in popularity by 10%, per the LCBO. Seltzers contributed the largest share of sales in 2023, once again.

“Canned cocktails experienced remarkable growth of 40% growth over the previous year, supported by new brands and a more extensive selection,” shares the LCBO.

When it comes to the wines category, sparkling attracted new customers, along with popular choices like prosecco and other Italian, Spanish, and local Ontario sparklers.

Customers shifted their preferences away from “heavier styles” and leaned closer to fresher styles, including lighter reds, rosés, and white wines.

Wines from Portugal and Chile were explored and, surprise surprise, there was a “notable growth” in popularity for 3L boxed wine and 375ml bottles of wine.

“Light, low alcohol and dealcoholized wine options continued to be a popular choice as more Ontarians sought to moderate their alcohol consumption,” shared the LCBO.

“In fact, growth of lighter wine options and lower sugar wines outpaced wines with higher alcohol levels (+2% and +7% respectively) and we expect this category to continue to grow in popularity.”

Once again, are we REALLY surprised by this? Nah, not really. Until next year!