Canada: Quebec liquor board to cull spirits from shelves as local distillers struggle

MONTREAL — The number of microdistilleries in Quebec has boomed in the last decade, growing from less than a dozen to about 70. But a decision by Quebec's liquor corporation to cull up to 200 homegrown productsfrom its stores is a sign of the growing pains felt by an industry struggling with strong competition, onerous regulations and a tough economy, distillers say. The Société des alcools du Québec, or SAQ, announced last week that it plans to withdraw 150 to 200 lower-selling Quebec spirits from store shelves by winter 2025. The SAQ currently stocks over 600 Quebec spirits. "The space they currently occupy on shelves will be freed up for products that customers demand but that struggle to find room in an overly large assortment," the provincial Crown corporation said in an email. It added it was working with the Union québécoise des microdistilleries, a group representing distillers, to come up with new rules in the coming months. Paul Cirka, the president of Montreal-based ...