Logic does not apply to liquor prices.
"Bill has a column, right — so I'm warning you — so if you tell Bill he's wrong, the chances are he's going to get a column out of it."
– Voice Of BC host Vaughn Palmer to BC liquor minister Rich Coleman
Do you believe the price of beer, wine and spirits in British Columbia is reasonable? That BC booze costs are comparable to other provinces and American states? I don't, so I posed a simple question to Coleman on Shaw Cable's Voice Of BC on May 31.
"Why do consumers of beer wine, and spirits pay among the highest prices in North America for those products?" I asked.
But Coleman immediately rejected my conclusion when Palmer asked: "Is he right about that?"
"Not really, no. We have a pretty comparable price structure to the rest of Canada," Coleman replied.
Oh yeah? I may only be a columnist and wine blogger but I think the minister is wrong.
Some quick research on beer and wine prices indicates we often pay more — sometimes much more — than in other jurisdictions.
And some quick research on beer and wine prices indicates we often pay more — sometimes much more — than in other jurisdictions.
In BC government liquor stores Labatt Blue beer costs $22.29 for 12 bottles, plus $1.20 bottle deposit, for a total of $23.49.
So how come in Chicago, IL the imported Blue can be found for just $10.98 US a case at Binny's private stores? That's less than half price. Or why is it $18.50 a case in Ontario? And $20.18 in Quebec at an IGA store?
And why does a Catena Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina costing $21.09 in BC plus deposit, retail at Ontario government liquor stores for $19.95 and only $17.31 in a private Calgary store? How does Binny's in Chicago sell it for just $16.54 US.?
Perhaps that's why Coleman hedged his bets after initially saying I was dead wrong.
"He [Tieleman] is not totally wrong because on some of it there is higher prices."
Indeed. And despite Coleman saying his plan to privatize BC's liquor warehouse operations won't mean consumers will pay still higher prices, I'm not convinced.
One reason — the same Catena wine priced at $21.09 at BC government stores is $27.99 in private BC Liquor Depot outlets — 33 percent more!
It all may drive me to drink.
About Bill Tieleman
Bill Tieleman, president of West Star Communications, is one of BC's best known political commentators and communicators. Read political commentary from Bill every Tuesday in 24 hours, Vancouver's free weekday newspaper (also online) and in The Tyee — BC's award-winning online magazine.
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