Whether it's a long weekend at the lake or a flight home for the holidays, the question is the same: can I bring my drinks? If you've searched “can you bring alcohol on a plane Canada,” or wondered whether a cooler of canned cocktails is legal in the car, at the park or at your campsite, here's a direct answer for each situation. Federal rules cover flights. Provinces, and sometimes cities, set the rules for everything else, so check locally before you go.
Can you bring alcohol on a plane Canada? The short answer
Yes, but where you pack it matters.
- Carry-on: CATSA limits liquids to containers of 100 mL or less, all fitting in one clear 1 L bag. A full-size 355 mL can won't get through security. Drinks you buy after the checkpoint follow different rules.
- Checked bags: Under Transport Canada's dangerous goods rules, drinks at 24% alcohol or less, which includes ready-to-drink canned cocktails, aren't restricted in checked baggage. Your airline can still set its own limits, so check before you pack a case.
- On board: Canadian aviation rules don't let you drink alcohol on the plane unless the airline serves it. Your own cans stay packed.
- Borders and provinces: When you come back into Canada, your duty-free personal exemption for alcohol depends on the type of drink. Check the current CBSA allowance. You can carry alcohol between provinces for personal use, but provinces can set limits.
Packing tip: put the cans in a sealed zip bag and wrap them in clothing in the middle of your suitcase, away from the hard edges.
Open liquor laws Canada: the cooler in your car
Open liquor laws work much the same way across Canada. Alcohol in a vehicle has to be unopened, or stored where nobody in the vehicle can reach it.
Ontario
Liquor has to be in a sealed, unopened container, or packed in baggage that is fastened closed or otherwise out of reach of everyone in the vehicle. Boats are a separate case. You can drink on a boat only if it has permanent sleeping, cooking and toilet facilities and is anchored or tied to a dock.
British Columbia
Open liquor isn't allowed in a vehicle. Keep drinks sealed, and put anything that's been opened in the trunk or another compartment passengers can't reach.
Alberta
Alcohol has to be unopened, or stored in the trunk or another space the driver and passengers can't easily reach.
What to do today: put the cooler in the trunk or cargo area, not on the back seat. If a can has been opened, finish it before you leave or pour it out. Don't put it back in the cooler.
Taking drinks to a park
In most of Canada, drinking in public is still prohibited unless the city has designated a spot for it. More cities are doing that. Calgary and Edmonton have designated picnic sites, Vancouver has opened selected parks and plazas for the season, and Toronto allows drinking in a list of designated parks. Locations, hours and seasons change, so check your city's website and look for signs before taking drinks to a park. Bring cans rather than glass, since many beaches and parks ban glass.
Camping cocktails: what's allowed at the campsite
Your registered campsite is generally treated like a temporary home. That means adults can usually drink there in provincial parks in BC, Alberta and Ontario, and in Parks Canada campgrounds. There are exceptions. Some Ontario Parks and Alberta Parks campgrounds ban alcohol on long weekends, and parks can bring in temporary bans. Read your reservation details before you leave. Camping cocktails belong on your own site, not on beaches, trails or park roads, and every empty goes home with you.
Why a still canned cocktail travels well
Cans are light, won't shatter and chill quickly in a cooler. Aura is premium distilled vodka with alkaline water (pH 8.5+) and natural flavour. It has zero carbonation, so it's a still drink, not a seltzer or a vodka soda. No bubbles means no bloating on a long drive or a hike to the lookout. There's no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives, and it's gluten-free. Browse our vodka water cocktails in Cucumber Lime, Coconut Pineapple and Mango Peach, or read why Aura is made the way it is.
Please enjoy responsibly. Drink only if you're of legal drinking age (18 in Alberta, 19 in BC and Ontario), and never drive or operate a boat after drinking. This article is general information, not legal advice, and rules can change.
Stock the cooler
Aura is available across British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Our own direct and wholesale orders deliver to Ontario addresses only, by the 24-can case. In BC, look for Aura at BC Liquor Stores and licensed private retailers. In Alberta, look for it at AGLC-licensed private retailers. Find your nearest store on our where to buy page and pack a case for your next trip.