Canadian Airlines Join the Boycott Against US Alcohol — But Not Everyone is On Board

A Porter Airlines plane departs from Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, on November 6, 2025. (Photo by Mike Campbell/NurPhoto via AP)

The tug of war over American-made alcohol has taken to the skies.

Following the last-minute collapse of trade talks between the US and Canada at the end of last week, rallying cries to “Buy Canadian” have reached a fever pitch north of the border. Canadian officials have imposed rate-for-rate counter-tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on American products, and eight of the nation’s 10 provinces have held firm on their boycott of US-made alcohol brands like Jim Beam and Tito’s Vodka.

Now, public pressure is mounting in the private sector. In a since-deleted post on the “Buy Canadian” subreddit, a user claimed that Air Canada was still serving Jack Daniel’s whiskey on business-class flights from Montreal. When questioned by Global News, Canada’s largest airline confirmed the reports and stood by the decision, adding that it’s nonetheless made a concerted effort to offer Canadian alternatives alongside American bestsellers.

“As a global airline transporting international customers including to and from the U.S., Air Canada carries a range of onboard products that reflects our customer preferences,” a spokesperson told Global News.

“We always feature at least one Canadian wine on every international flight, and we’ve made a deliberate shift toward Canadian spirits and Canadian producers. In addition to the range of Canadian products we proudly feature, we also carry some internationally recognized products that are particularly important to our global customer base, including U.S. bourbon.”

Other airlines are reportedly taking a different approach. The Toronto-based Porter Airlines confirmed that it has followed the lead of provincial leaders and is no longer offering American alcohol on its domestic or international flights.

The airline still offers several routes to the United States, including hubs across New York, Florida, California and Washington, D.C.

“Porter is a Canadian airline and we emphasize partnering with high-quality Canadian brands whenever possible,” a spokesperson told the outlet. “Porter is proud to offer Jackson Triggs wine from Niagara and Alberta-based Tumbler & Rocks cocktails.”

WestJet and Air Transat, Canada’s second- and fourth-largest airlines, respectively, did not respond to requests for comment, though their in-flight menus are readily available online. WestJet’s menu lists a variety of Canadian beers and wines, an Italian Brut and a range of internationally produced spirits from the likes of Bacardi and Captain Morgan. American brands are notably absent. Air Transat’s menu looks much the same, including miniature maple leaf symbols next to Canadian-made products.

The first of the boycotts kicked off in early 2025 when Ontario Premier Doug Ford pulled US alcohol from shelves in protest of the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs. His decision set off a chain reaction. Bans have now been in effect across multiple provinces for over a year and a half, a move that the White House says has cost American distillers hundreds of millions of dollars.

A Nanos Research poll conducted at the end of July found that nearly 70% of Canadians said that they were “not likely” to purchase US-made alcohol if it returned to shelves.