Last year, liquor stores in a number of Canadian provinces chose to remove American made spirits from their shelves in protest against President Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canadian goods.
While this situation is still rumbling away, one Canadian province may be set to boycott a Canadian made whisky after the brand’s owner revealed plans to move their bottling operations to the US.
Back in August, Diageo announced their intention to close their Crown Royal bottling plant in Amherstburg, Ontario, and hit the majority of their operations stateside. This closure is estimated to result in 200 job losses.
Ontario premier Doug Ford has since engaged in a months long dispute with the drinks giant, threatening to pull Crown Royal and other Diageo-owned spirits from Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) stores. LCBO is one of the largest drinks buyers in the world and losing this listing would be incredibly disruptive for any drinks company, even one as big as Diageo.
Recently, in his first address of 2026, Ford has doubled down on his threats to ban Crown Royal. Responding to a question about his intention to delist the popular Canadian whisky, he replied “oh, 100%, I can’t wait,” and urged fans to “stock up there, buddy.”
However he appears to have softened his approach slightly. Other drinks are no longer in the crossfire, at least in the short term. Ford confirmed that the ban would “only focus on Crown Royal for now.”
Crown Royal was founded 86 years ago to celebrate a visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Crafted Canadian grains and water from Manitoba’s Lake Winnipeg, it is the best selling Canadian whisky in the US and one of the most recognisable Canadian brands. It has been part of the Diageo portfolio since 2001.
A statement from Diageo said that Crown Royal “will be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada, just as it has been since 1939”. Additionally, whisky bottled in their US plants will only be destined for the US market and that all Crown Royal “sold in Canada and destined for the rest of the world (outside the US) will continue to be bottled in Canada”.
Ford remains wary, however, referring to these words as “a bunch of BS.” He sites Diageo’s decision to postpone a plans for a new multi-million dollar distillery in St Clair, Ontario as the reason for his distrust.
He said: “It’s all going to Alabama. Mark my words…They said they were going to invest in St Clair, Ontario, [CA]$350 million. They pulled the carpet out from underneath us.
“So, as simple as that, it’s not going to be produced in Ontario anymore. They’re closing the plant after God knows decades, and generations have worked at this plant. We’re going to bring new products and opportunities to this jurisdiction. The message to everyone else: don’t try to hurt Ontario, especially if we’re your No 1 customer – you’ll be held accountable.”
Much like the ongoing tariff related trade dispute between the US and Canada, parties on both sides of the Crown Royal debate will be hoping for a quick resolution to this issue. As things stand, it looks like a lose-lose situation for all concerned.
For more information on the tariff dispute, check out our recent article “Canadian Provinces to Resell American Spirits.”
