AGLC raises minimum drink prices for first time since 2008

For the first time since 2008, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission has raised the minimum prices bars and restaurants must charge for alcoholic drinks.

Effective immediately following an announcement on June 9, the new rules set draft beer at a minimum of $0.25 per ounce, up from $0.16 per ounce. That means a 20-ounce pint now costs a minimum of $5, up from $3.20.

Bottled or canned beers, ciders, coolers, spirits, and liqueurs increased from a $2.75 minimum to $4 per container.

The Pint Whyte, a popular student bar on Whyte Avenue that regularly hosts happy hours and "pint power hours," previously advertised $2.99 beers, shots, and highballs. Bar manager Duncan Ross said the venue is planning to hold most regular prices steady as long as possible, despite the changes.

"This place specifically is a student bar, so everyone's very price sensitive. So unless it really starts cutting in, we're not going to be raising the prices," Ross said.

The AGLC framed the increase as a public-health measure. "Following a review of policy, several amendments were made to the liquor licensee handbook to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of licensees and AGLC," spokesperson Karin Campbell said. The change "reinforces the AGLC's commitment to reducing alcohol-related harms by encouraging moderation and discouraging binge-drinking behaviours."

A 2016 report by the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention found that 30 per cent of Albertans exceeded Canada's low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines in 2013, and 76 per cent of Alberta high school students who drink reported binge-drinking. A 2026 brief by the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence noted that alcohol-related deaths across Canada increased by 17.6 per cent between 2020 and 2022, with Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan experiencing the highest number of excess alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations.