Sign up ×

Is homebrewing beer legal in Ontario Canada?

I have tried googling and cannot find the answer. Wikipedia says it's legal in most provinces, but not specific about Ontario.

Also would it be legal for me to order supplies online (e.g. from US) and have them shipped here?

share|improve this question
I'd recommend searching Ontario's website for alcohol regs. An email to that department would straighten it out fairly easily. –  brewchez Jan 19 '11 at 19:33
Voted to close; too localized & too "meta" (not about brewing, but about laws about brewing). –  Nick Jan 20 '11 at 2:01
Shouldn't be closed. Important information. –  DJClayworth Jan 20 '11 at 21:39
Localized? Yeah... but Ontario isn't all that small, and it's a valid, objective, question likely to be asked again. Let it be answered and slide into the search indexes--it won't bother anyone –  STW Jan 21 '11 at 0:14

3 Answers 3

up vote 7 down vote accepted

According to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario:

"You may make beer or wine at home as long as it is only for your personal consumption or to be given away free of charge. Homemade (or "u-brew") beer or wine may not be sold or used commercially."

share|improve this answer
this is great. thank you very much for finding this. I had no idea there was a commission. So beer and wine is legal, spirits are not. –  MorganTiley Jan 21 '11 at 12:17

According to the Canadian Amateur Brewer's Association there's a 'Southern Ontario Homebrewers' club. They have a mailing list here. I suspect they can give you a definitive answer, but the fact that the club exists suggests that homebrew is legal. Or you could contact CABA and ask them.

share|improve this answer
Again, there are clubs in states in the US where its not legal to brew. Dropping an email to the club is a good idea. Many places do not actually enforce the law though, so don't wait to start a batch while you look for legality. –  brewchez Jan 20 '11 at 13:04

I've ordered supplies from homebrewgearcanada and homebrew-supplies online. They are both based out of Ontario, so I'm thinking it's a fairly safe bet that there are no legal issues associated with homebrewing in Ontario. Order from them and you'll save on shipping and potential custom/brokerage fees as well as supporting a Canadian business.

share|improve this answer
There are homebrew shops in states in the US where the state hasn't legalized homebrewing. So I don't know if that's a fair assumption to make. –  brewchez Jan 19 '11 at 19:33
+1 brewchez -- just because it's legal to buy the supplies doesn't make it legal to produce the product. –  STW Jan 19 '11 at 20:17
Fair enough. There are enough hemp shops around to back this fact up. Liquor control board would give a definitive answer. –  user813 Jan 19 '11 at 21:32

Your Answer


