That time LCBO in Ontario had its own store brand of liquor

The history of the LCBO spans nearly a century, and a lot can change over such a long time. While there are plenty of records to showcase how the provincial liquor retailer has changed over time, there are some elements of this Ontario board that have faded into obscurity.

One of these forgotten elements is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's (LCBO) now-defunct in-house liquor brand.

These bottles often make the rounds online whenever they're found, but when I tried digging into their origins, there was little more than speculation surrounding these LCBO-branded products.

To help distill the information floating around online, I spoke to an LCBO spokesperson to better understand the history behind these mysterious products and, more importantly, what happened to them.

How the LCBO got into the booze business

During the prohibition era, the production and distribution of alcohol went underground. This resulted in people drinking alcohol that wasn't exactly the safest and or most sanitary.

Even after Prohibition ended in the late 1920s, many in Ontario were still sipping on what was essentially dangerous industrial-strength alcohol that was meant for industrial or medical applications, and by no means fit for human consumption.

That's when the Ontario Government stepped in. In 1926, it created the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) with three goals in mind: regulating alcohol sales, improving the industry, and promoting safer drinking habits in Ontario.

In 1930, in line with its mandate of protecting the health and safety of Ontario, the LCBO started bottling and selling its own product simply labelled "Alcohol" (or Alcohol/Alcool). This product was to showcase that purchasing alcohol through legal means at the LCBO was safe and reliable.

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The LCBO's private label liquor lineup

The product was a hit, and the LCBO soon expanded its in-house product line.

The Board primarily sourced alcohol from Canadian suppliers, but when products weren't available domestically, they were imported from countries like Australia, Guyana, and Barbados. Selection was based on safety, ingredient quality, and trust in production standards.

Some of its popular brands included Canada Select, Extra Special Scotch Whisky and, of course, the iconic Alcohol/Alcool. In 1933, the top-selling product was the LCBO's brand of Australian brandy, which sold for $1.50 a bottle.

The original LCBO bottling line, where they would bottle bulk liquor, was located at their old head offices at 55 Lakeshore Blvd East. That facility was recently stripped down to its facades, awaiting redevelopment with a massive condo complex, while the LCBO has moved its head office just next door in a glitzy new office tower.

Every in-house bottle was tested in the former Lake Shore facility to meet the LCBO's quality standards, and donned a seal to show that it met legal sale requirements

At its peak, the LCBO facility bottled more than 50 brands, totalling about 4.5 million litres annually.

What happened to LCBO-branded booze?

While continuing to bottle its own products, the LCBO also worked closely with the Ontario Department of Health to improve Ontario wineries and create operational standards.

This helped build public trust in the legal sale of alcohol and helped pave the way for local alcohol producers to manufacture safe, quality alcohol.

By the mid-1990s, the LCBO quietly phased out its in-house products. To the Board, the bottling program had served its purpose: it inspired better regulation, a thriving industry, and customers trusted what they were buying.

And just like that, the LCBO-branded bottles disappeared from store shelves, leaving behind hazy memories and a few dusty survivors in liquor cabinets across Ontario.