Latest news with #SociétédesalcoolsduQuébec
CBC
11-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec liqueur company caught in crossfire of U.S. alcohol ban
A liqueur company says it's been bottled up with its American counterparts and pulled from SAQ store shelves — despite being based in Laval, Que. The founder of LS Cream Liqueur, Stevens Charles, says he started receiving concerned text messages from customers unable to find the Haitian-style drink after U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs came into effect last week. "The way that it looks right now, it looks like LS Cream is part of the problem," he told CBC's Daybreak. Though headquartered in Laval, Charles says the company bottles its product in the U.S., a decision it made after it struggled to enter the Quebec market via the call for tender process when it was starting out around 2014. After a year in business, Charles says the province's liquor board, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), began placing orders for his product. "We've been a fairly good success for all those years because as you know, if you don't perform, they never reorder again. And we've been selling out all our orders ever since," he said. The cream liqueur is inspired by the Haitian celebratory drink crémas, which is infused with nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, among other ingredients reminiscent of the holidays. The SAQ, for its part, says it considers LS Cream Liqueur to be a U.S. product, reiterating the statement it issued when the Quebec government asked it to pull American alcohol from its shelves. The removal "includes wines, spirits, locally bottled American products, and beers in transit intended for brewers," according to the statement. LS Cream is produced in Buffalo, N.Y., bottled in Florida, then shipped to a depot in New Jersey where the SAQ typically picks it up for import to Canada. Charles says he's reached out to the board about his unique situation but says he hasn't heard back, adding that he hopes a compromise can be reached. He says that he understands the ban but hopes the board can see that his is not the "embodiment of a U.S.-based company." Last year, the board featured an interview with Charles and his co-founder Myriam Jean-Baptiste on its site highlighting them for Black History Month. "We're Haitian-Canadians that bottle [an] ancestral recipe from Haiti. That's the story. We're not a chameleon, we're not trying to be Canadian here, U.S. there." Charles, who lives with his family in Laval, says he's looking into possibly adding operations in Canada, but says it's complicated.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Americano? Nope. Try a Canadiano at this Montreal café as trade war heats up
Social Sharing Montreal cafés, bars, and restaurants are getting their elbows up and removing American products from their menus to send a bold message to the United States after President Donald Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. At a café in the West Island, one item is sparking conversation. Ashley Murdoch, co-owner of Coco & Bean café, says her café is doing its part to take a stand against the United States by renaming the Americano coffee to the "Canadiano." "We wanted to, without getting too political, have fun with the idea and switch our name ... to really show how we support and how we're trying to support our community," said Murdoch. "We love our community and we want to show them that we're all in it together." This shift comes after Trump's tariffs took effect on Tuesday, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to impose 25 per cent retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products. At Murdoch's coffee shop, she says most of the ingredients are Canadian. For the few that are American, she is committed to finding alternative suppliers. She noted that her clients have responded positively to the changes so far and she applauds other local business owners who are joining the movement. "I love it, I think it's great that we're standing together. We have to do something, it's our voices that are going to make a difference at the end of the day," she said. WATCH | Montreal venues take a stand against tariffs: Montreal cafés, venues take a stand in ongoing U.S. trade war 3 minutes ago Duration 2:44 John Edward Gumbley, president of JEGantic group, which runs Yoko Luna bar, has been outspoken about tariffs since Trump's threats began making headlines. In February, he posted a series of videos on Instagram called "Trump for Dummies" to share his thoughts and explain the situation to his followers. "[Trump] scared the American population into worrying about what's going to happen to them, why can't they afford bacon and eggs," said Gumbley. "And now, he's putting forth policies that are going to make bacon and eggs cost more." In response, he is removing several American alcohol brands from his establishments, including a wine from California, a vodka brand from Miami and even Jack Daniel's whiskey — a bestseller at his bars and clubs. Gumbley anticipates Canada's counter-tariffs could increase the cost of the ingredients he purchases by 25 per cent, but says he won't pass the burden onto customers. This could cause a "lot of pain" for his businesses, forcing them to absorb the additional costs. Still, he believes it's the right course of action. "This is Canada first and everybody has to do their part because the only way to really end this issue is if they feel the pain as well," he said of the U.S. "We have to find ways to fight back and slowly develop independence from them so this can't happen again." As of Tuesday, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), Quebec's liquor board, started pulling American products from its shelves at the request of Premier François Legault. Morrie Baker, owner of Burger Bar Crescent, also chose to remove Jack Daniel's whiskey from his shelves, even though it's his "major sponsor" during the Formula One weekend in the city. "This is all happening so quickly, in real time, that nobody really has a chance to plan and to react," he said. He's revised his drink recipes, replacing the iconic American Tennessee whiskey with Canadian Club rye whiskey. While he anticipates an influx of American tourists in the city this summer because of the low value of the Canadian dollar, he says for now, he's determined to support Canadian products. "We're not shopping American. We believe in elbows up. We're Canadian and we have to support ourselves," he said.
