Province confirms beer will be sold in grocery stores

It's pretty much official now: the province has announced that it will grant 450 licences for the sale of beer in supermarkets across Ontario. There is a small catch, however. As is the case currently at the LCBO, grocery stores will only be permitted to sell single bottles and six packs.

I suspect that this won't prove too much of a damper on the news. The sale of booze in this province has required reform for a long time, and that fact that it's actually happening is welcome news for many consumers.

Also worthy of note is that the Beer Store will be required to devote 20 per cent of its shelf space to craft brewers (up from seven per cent). Ownership of the conglomerate will also be opened beyond the three foreign companies that currently hold stakes.

A $100 million annual tax will be placed on beer alongside these changes, but consumers won't bear the burden of the levy for two years. Wine sales at grocery stores is being investigated further and will not be part of the initial changes to our booze laws.

What do you think? Is this enough of an overhaul?