The Jack Daniel's, the Jim Beam, the Wild Turkey and the Tito's is gone.
As soon as Trump slapped on tariffs yesterday, red-state liquor started to disappear from all government-owned BC Liquor Stores.
But the move doesn't mean all American liquor is being removed from all stores in the province.
It can be a little confusing, so, let's explain.
The red-state removal edict is specifically for BC Liquor Stores, which are owned and operated by the provincial government.
Private liquor stores can and will continue to display and sell all American products.
BC Liquor Store's action applies to red-state liquor only.
Red is the colour given to states that voted overwhelmingly Republican to elect US President Donald Trump, the man behind the punitive tariffs.
There are currently 31 red states.
Blue is the colour of the Democrats, who secured 19 states.
The wide swaths of red include Kentucky and Tennessee, states famous for their whiskeys.
As such well-known American brands Jack Daniel's, Jim Bean and Wild Turkey are off BC Liquor Store shelves.
California, Oregon and Washington are blue or Democrat states, anti-Trump states, if you will, so wines from those states will remain on shelves at BC Liqour Stores.
In making the liquor boycott decision, BC Premier David Eby wanted to target states aligned with Trump and spare the states that don't support Trump.
Geoff Kozoway from private liquor store Metro in Kelowna explained that private stores buy their stock from the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.
So, all the bottles in private stores are bought and paid for and private stores have to sell that product before they recoup their expenses and make a profit.
"As a result we'll be keeping all we have from red states on the shelf until they sell," said Kozoway.
That includes Tito's vodka from Texas and about a dozen whiskeys from Kentucky and Tennessee.
BC Liquor Stores operate differently in that they stock product on consignment, meaning that the supplier doesn't get paid until the bottle is actually sold by the store.
Thus, BC Liquor Stores can immediately pull and return product from red states without financial loss.
"Effective immediately, BC Liquor Stores will be pulling all red-state liquor products off the shelf and will not order any more," said Premier Eby.
"Here at home, the government, including Crown corporations and health authorities, will be buying Canadian first, then non-US products. This is something that we can't do ordinarily because of trade agreements with the United States. Finally, we're going to make sure support is in place so BC businesses can pivot to global and domestic markets."
A quick look on the BC Liquor Stores website still lists liquor like Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey and Tito's, complete with photos, prices and descriptions.
But, all the listings have been updated with a 'currently unavailable' disclaimer.
There's no mention that it's because of tariffs and the Canada-US trade war.
If you're looking at Jack Daniel's whiskeys on the website, you'll also see the 'you might also like' option that suggests Canadian whiskeys from Canadian Club, Wiser's, Crown Royal and Alberta Premium.
On the same website, California wines are still shown for sale.
While this story is specifically about red-state liquor being pulled from BC Liquor Store shelves, we'll be hearing a lot more about all the other fallout as Trump's tariffs are felt.
"The federal government has committed that the revenues from counter tariffs announced this morning will be redistributed to businesses and individuals to provide support," added Eby.
"We'll make sure that happens. As a province, we'll fill in the blanks wherever there is an area that isn't being addressed by Ottawa."
Eby added it's also the time for British Columbians to work together and buy BC, buy Canadian, to avoid travel to the US.
"Together, we'll ensure that Canada remains the true north, strong and free," said Eby.
"This threat to our sovereignty has brought out a sense of pride, a sense of courage and a sense of solidarity among all Canadians. We are tough. We are resilient. We are exceptional."
