Vancouver bars prepare for St. Patrick's Day amid changing liquor landscape

Tyler Barnett has been a bartender for two decades in Vancouver. Recently, he’s noticed a change.

"Honestly, 20 years ago, your buddies would have chafed you a little bit for ordering a non-alcoholic beer," said Barnett, who works at Relish Pub. "But now it's not that moment – it's just common."

The changing liquor landscape has been seen across the country, according to Statistics Canada, which recently reported that alcohol sales, by volume, decreased for the second year in a row.

A 2021 survey found that one in five Canadians were drinking less than they did pre-pandemic, with the decline more pronounced among younger people.

"It's almost like a necessity to carry a non-alcoholic beer," said Barnett. "We've got Heineken 0.0 and we'll often run out of it, and even our distributors will have difficulty maintaining the supplies."

He added that many customers now rely more on happy hour deals and other discounts to save a few dollars – a change that might be partly due to inflation, as people look to save money for things like groceries, rent or mortgage payments.

As for why more younger people are turning away from alcohol, one expert believes that could be related to more "health-conscious" lifestyle choices.

"Some of these non-alcohol beverages are seen as being more healthy,” said Vince Sgabellone, a food service industry analyst with Circana Canada.

But declining alcohol consumption doesn't mean crowds won't be out celebrating St. Patrick's Day as they normally do, Sgabellone said.

"Maybe they won't have quite as much to consume because maybe they're going to save a little bit of money, but I think people are going to go out and celebrate and have a good time, regardless of the economy, regardless of their diets,” he said.

That's welcome news for the owners and employees of local restaurants and pubs, who are banking on a busy weekend of green beers.

“It might be food or beer for students," Barnett said. "I know which I would have chosen when I was in university, but (it's) not necessarily what these younger, smarter kids are doing nowadays.”