Alberta’s New Tasting Regulations

The AGLC recently made changes to the liquor tasting policy. Servers are now required to have ProServe certification, licencees can recover some costs, and sample sizes have increased.

Specific areas where amendments were made or new policies introduced include:

 Definition of a liquor tasting;

 Tasting servers required to have ProServe certification;

 Changes to maximum tasting sizes;

 Agencies permitted to bring unfinished product to a tasting with prior approval of the licensee;

 Required information needed when conducting a tasting;

 Increase in maximum staffing costs from $20 to $25 per hour;

 Allow licensees to charge customers for cost recovery on items such as the liquor product, complementary food items and staffing costs; and

 Clarification of what the licensee’s cost of a product entails.

Maximum Sample Sizes

The maximum sample size for each brand of liquor is:

Beer – 36 X 355 ml bottles, or the smallest keg used by the supplier/agency (approved container), or equivalent

Refreshment beverages – 36 X 355 ml bottles, or equivalent

Wine – 4 X 750 ml bottles, or equivalent

Spirits – 2 X 750 ml bottles, or equivalent

Liqueurs – 2 X 750 ml bottles, or equivalent

The revised liquor tasting policy, which is effective immediately, may be found under:

 Section 7.5 of the Retail Liquor Store Handbook

 Section 7.5 of the General Merchandise Liquor Store Handbook

 Section 8.5 of the Licensee Handbook

 Section 5.5 of the Liquor Agency Handbook.

These handbooks may be accessed on the AGLC website at www.aglc.ca.

If you have any questions regarding the amendment to policy, please contact

the AGLC Compliance Branch at Inspections.mailbox@aglc.ca.