BC Greens say new markup rules would save craft breweries $16.3 million a year
The BC Greens announced a plan on October 19 to cut liquor markup rates for small breweries and redirect the savings from large producers, with a stated annual benefit of $16.3 million for craft brewers.
Announcement. A campaign, a party or the City chose to say this. voche.me reports it as their claim. Read the original report on bcgreens.ca.
The BC Greens published a plan on October 19 to lower liquor markup rates for small craft breweries in British Columbia and raise them for the province's largest beer producers. The party says the change would save BC's craft brewery sector $16.3 million a year.
David Evans, the BC Greens candidate for Juan de Fuca-Malahat, announced the plan at Sooke Oceanside Brewing. Evans said the party would carry out a proposal from the BC Craft Brewers Guild. "Breweries are critical to B.C.'s economy," Evans said, pointing to the sector's employment numbers.
The BC Green Party says more than 200 craft breweries operate across nearly 80 communities in BC and support over 4,500 jobs. About 85 cider producers also turn BC-grown fruit into finished products.
Under the plan, markup rates would start low for small breweries and rise gradually as a brewery grows. The largest producers would face higher rates. The party says large multinational beer companies currently receive more than $9 million a year in provincial rebates, and the plan would redirect that support toward smaller producers.
The announcement also covers cider. The BC Greens say they would review provincial liquor markup rates for cider producers to check that the treatment is equal, and would establish dedicated craft cider sections in BC Liquor Stores.
All numbers in the announcement are the party's own figures. The BC Greens have not published an independent cost breakdown for these commitments, and voche.me has not audited the calculations.
The plan also makes no mention of what other parties have committed on brewery markups. If another party has a response to this proposal, no news outlet had reported one as of the time this article was written.
Voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting continues through October 21. You can read David Evans's profile at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/david-evans and compare party platforms at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-green-party.
Questions this story answers
What did the BC Greens announce on October 19 about craft breweries?
The BC Greens published a plan to reform the province's liquor markup system so small breweries pay lower rates that rise gradually as the brewery grows. Under the plan, the largest producers would pay higher rates. The party says this would save BC's craft brewery sector $16.3 million a year.
Who announced the BC Greens brewing plan?
David Evans, the BC Greens candidate for Juan de Fuca-Malahat, announced the plan at Sooke Oceanside Brewing on October 19, 2026. Evans said the party would carry out a proposal from the BC Craft Brewers Guild.
How many craft breweries are there in BC and how many people do they employ?
The BC Green Party's announcement says there are more than 200 craft breweries across nearly 80 communities in British Columbia, supporting over 4,500 jobs. There are also about 85 cider producers making products from BC-grown fruit.
What does the BC Greens plan say about cider producers?
The plan would review provincial liquor markup rates for cider producers to check that the treatment is equal, and would establish dedicated craft cider sections in BC Liquor Stores. These are the party's own commitments, and the party has not published an independent cost breakdown for the cider portion.
How much do multinational beer companies currently receive in rebates?
According to the BC Greens' announcement, multinational beer companies currently receive more than $9 million a year in annual rebates from the province. The party says this money should instead go toward supporting small breweries.
Is the $16.3 million figure independently verified?
No. The $16.3 million annual savings figure comes from the BC Greens' own announcement. The party says the figure reflects the potential benefit of implementing the BC Craft Brewers Guild's proposal, but no independent analysis has been published.
What can a voter do with this information?
Voting day for the BC provincial election is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs through October 21. You can read David Evans's candidate page at voche.me and the full party platform at the BC Greens website to compare this policy with what other parties have proposed for small businesses.
Has any other party proposed similar changes to brewery markup rates?
The BC Greens announcement does not reference similar commitments from other parties. To compare all party positions on small business and liquor policy, see the BC election poll tracker and party pages at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-green-party.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- BC Green Party announcement, October 19, 2026bcgreens.ca
- Saanich News report, October 19, 2026saanichnews.com
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