Quebec loosens Prohibition-era liquor laws; makes it easier to get alcohol permits
MONTREAL — Quebec restaurants that do not have a bar licence such as Montreal’s Ye Olde Orchard must sell a bowl of pasta or other small plates to patrons who just want to grab a pint of beer.
If a business doesn’t have such a licence — which is not easy to acquire — it cannot serve alcohol without food.
That regulation will soon be over, thanks to Quebec’s Bill 170, which was tabled Wednesday and is aimed at easing the province’s liquor laws and making it simpler to acquire permits.
“It’s great, I think that it will actually encourage people to come out,” said Ye Olde Orchard co-owner Stephanie Carter. “A lot of people go out for dinner and then want to stop by for a pint.”