YOUR EXPERT ROUTE TO MARKET IN ONTARIO
Laneway Distillers represents international wineries, distilleries, and beverage brands at the LCBO — Canada's largest market for wine and spirits. With deep LCBO experience and an in-market team, we open the door to Ontario.
Our Director of Sales & Business Development was instrumental in the introduction and launching of Patrón Tequila and Crystal Head Vodka to the Canadian market. Leveraging his expertise, Laneway is licensed to act as an alcohol agent in Ontario, with co-agency relationships across most Canadian provincial liquor boards.
WHY ONTARIO? WHY THE LCBO?
Ontario is home to more than 15 million consumers and one of the most concentrated beverage alcohol markets in the world. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is the mandatory channel for nearly all wine and spirits sold in the province — through more than 650 retail stores, the premium Vintages program, on-premise licensee sales to bars and restaurants, and a growing e-commerce platform.
For international producers, the LCBO is one of the single largest buyers of beverage alcohol on the planet. Foreign brands cannot sell into the LCBO directly. You need a licensed Ontario agent to submit your products, manage your relationship with LCBO buyers, and represent your brand in the market.
That's where Laneway Distillers comes in.
$7B+
annual LCBO sales
650+
retail stores across Ontario
15M+
Ontario consumers
An agent that knows the LCBO from the inside.
Laneway Distillers is a Toronto-based spirits company and a licensed LCBO agent. We act as our own agent for the brands we produce — which means we live inside the LCBO submission, listing, and reorder process every single week. We've negotiated buyer meetings, fixed pricing problems, fought for shelf space, and chased reorders. We know what works.
Our Director of Sales & Business Development, Kenton Tasker, brings 30 years of direct LCBO experience — including [previous role / specific accomplishments at the LCBO, e.g. category management, buyer relationships]. Kenton has built relationships across every LCBO category buying team and represents Laneway and our partner brands at international trade shows including ProWine Chengdu.
When you appoint Laneway as your agent, you get a partner who already has the relationships, the systems, and the credibility — not a paper-only agency that submits your file and disappears.
Full-Service LCBO Representation, from Submission to REorder
As your agent, Laneway manages every stage of your LCBO relationship so you can focus on making great product.
LCBO product submission and registration.
We prepare and submit your products to the appropriate LCBO category — General List, Vintages Essentials, Vintages Release, Spirits, or special programs.
Pricing strategy and FOB negotiation.
We model landed cost, duty, freight, and LCBO markups to build a pricing structure that protects your margin and works for the buyer.
Buyer relationships and category presentations.
We pitch your brand directly to LCBO category managers and Vintages product consultants — relationships built over years.
Trade marketing and in-store activation.
Shelf-talkers, tastings, product consultant briefings, and Vintages release marketing where eligible.
Order management and reorder forecasting.
We track inventory, monitor sell-through, and trigger reorders before stockouts.
Compliance and reporting.
All LCBO, AGCO, and federal compliance handled. You receive regular performance reports on sell-through and inventory.
Transparent Commision.
No Upfront Fees.
Laneway is compensated exclusively based on the value of purchase orders issued by the LCBO for your products. We do not charge any upfront fees, monthly retainers, or additional fees for buyer presentations, category reviews, or listing submissions. Any advertising and promotional (A&P) marketing investments required are funded directly by the supplier and are separate from Laneway's compensation.
Our model is straightforward: we only succeed when you do. When your products move off LCBO shelves, we earn. When they don't, we don't. That alignment shapes every decision we make about which brands to take on and how hard we work for them.
What’S INCLUDED:
All LCBO submissions and resubmissions
Buyer meetings, presentations, and follow-up
Sample logistics and tasting coordination
In-market marketing and trade activation
Order management and reporting
Ongoing buyer relationship management
From first conversation to shelf — here's how it works.
1
Introduction call.
A 30-minute conversation with Kenton to understand your brand, your goals for Ontario, and whether we're the right fit.
2
Product and market evaluation.
We review your products, pricing, and category positioning against what's already on LCBO shelves.
3
Agency agreement.
A clear, written representation agreement covering scope, term, exclusivity, and commission.
4
LCBO submission.
We prepare your category submission — product specs, pricing, marketing story, samples — and submit on the next applicable buying cycle.
5
Buyer presentation and decision.
Category managers review submissions on a published cycle. We advocate for your brand throughout.
6
Launch and ongoing management.
Once listed, we manage launch logistics, in-store activation, reorders, and reporting indefinitely.
LCBO category cycles vary. Most general list and Vintages Essentials decisions take 4–9 months from submission to first shipment. Vintages Release products move faster. Spirits cycles are longer. We'll give you a realistic timeline for your specific category during the introduction call.
To represent you well, here's what we ask.
Successful LCBO launches require strong partnership. Before we submit your products, we'll need:
Product samples for category buyer tastings (typically 6–12 bottles per SKU)
Technical product information — alcohol percentage, varietals or mash bill, tasting notes, allergens, certifications
Confirmed FOB / Ex-Works (Ex-cellar) pricing and minimum order quantities
High-resolution product imagery and brand assets
Marketing story — what makes your brand distinctive, your production region, your awards and accolades
Export licensing and ability to ship to Ontario, Canada
A primary contact at your company empowered to make pricing and shipping decisions
If you're missing any of these, we'll help you put them together — but the more you arrive with, the faster we can move.
Ready to Talk?
Tell us about your brand and your goals for Ontario.
Kenton personally responds to every inquiry within two business days.
Prefer email? Reach Kenton directly at kenton.tasker@lanewaygin.com
Common questions from international producers.
-
Typical timelines: 4–9 months for general list and Vintages Essentials, 3–6 months for Vintages Release, 6–12+ months for new spirits categories. We give you a category-specific estimate during our intro call.
-
We carefully manage our portfolio to avoid direct conflicts. During our intro call, we'll be transparent about brands we currently represent in your category. If there's overlap, we'll discuss whether the fit makes sense.
-
LCBO buyers decline more submissions than they accept — it's part of the process. If your product is declined, we review the buyer feedback, adjust pricing or positioning, and resubmit at the next cycle. Many of our successful listings were accepted on the second or third submission.
-
No. However, once your product is listed at the LCBO, it's available to licensees across Ontario. We have help ensure it’s positioned to be as available as possible for ordering.
-
Our license is specific to Ontario and the LCBO. For SAQ (Quebec), BCLDB (British Columbia), AGLC (Alberta) and others, we can refer you to trusted agency partners in those provinces. Many international brands start with Ontario because of LCBO volume, then expand from there.
-
Simply: General List products are stocked permanently in regular LCBO stores. Vintages Essentials are premium products stocked year-round in stores with Vintages sections. Vintages Release products appear in limited-time releases every two weeks. We'll recommend the best path for your brand.
-
No equity. Our standard agreement is for Ontario exclusivity for a defined term (typically 3 years) with clear performance expectations and mutual exit terms. We don't believe in agreements that lock partners into underperforming relationships.