A By-the-Glass-Endorsement allows eligible Ontario distilleries with a Distillery Licence to sell and serve their products for consumption in areas that are under sole control of licensee that are located on or immediately adjacent to the production site where the sale is primarily aimed at promoting the manufacturer’s product and either providing an enhanced tourist experience or fulfilling an educational purpose.
Only Ontario distilleries which hold a Distillery Licence are eligible for this endorsement.
A distillery that holds a By-the-Glass Endorsement to their Distillery Licence is only permitted to sell and serve the spirits which it has manufactured.
With the exception of areas such as public roads, thoroughfares, driveways and parking lots, or in other areas that may raise public safety concerns, any area that is on or immediately adjacent to a manufacturing site and under the sole control of the manufacturer is eligible to be licensed as a premises for the sale, service and consumption of spirits under a By-the-Glass Endorsement. Guests are allowed to carry and consume spirits purchased under the By-the-Glass Endorsement or at the tied house on the production site in areas that are under the sole control of the manufacturer and covered by either the Liquor Sales Licence (for the tied house) or By-the-Glass Endorsement.
Note: A distillery production site may have both a Liquor Sales Licence for a tied house and a By-the-Glass Endorsement. Patrons are permitted to move freely between the licensed areas with their beverages. However, licensees must ensure adherence to rules regarding the permissible hours of sale for each licence type and other requirements relating to the sale and service of liquor at multiple premises.
Permissible hours under a By-the-Glass Endorsement may not be extended.
If a manufacturer has a retail store on the production site, the licensee may bring sealed, unopened liquor purchased from the retail store onto the licensed premises for the purposes of selling it to a patron. This allows patrons that wish to purchase product for personal use from the retail store to pay for the product on their bill in the licensed premises or by-the-glass area.
When applying for a By-the-Glass Endorsement via iAGCO, you will be asked to provide the following as part of your application. These items can be provided to the AGCO at any time during the application process:
An endorsement can only be transferred together with the licence to which it is attached. Transfers of By-the-Glass Endorsements will be processed at the same time as the corresponding Distillery Licence transfer application. Please see information above about transferring a Distillery Licence.
By-the-Glass Endorsements are valid for a period of two or four years and expire when the associated Manufacturer’s Licence expires or is terminated.
Renewals of By-the-Glass Endorsements will be processed at the same time as the corresponding Manufacturer’s Licence renewal application which can be completed online through the iAGCO portal. Please see section on Renewing a Manufacturer’s Licence for instructions on completing the renewal application.
Manufacturers who hold a By-the-Glass Endorsement may be eligible for a temporary extension of their licensed premises if the extension is immediately adjacent to the areas under the By-the-Glass Endorsement and if they meet applicable requirements.
If you are a distiller with a By-the-Glass Endorsement located in a municipality and wish to have a temporary outdoor physical extension (temporary patio), please contact your municipality to find out the approval process and applicable requirements. For more information, see the New Framework for Temporary Outdoor Extensions.
If you are a distiller with a By-the-Glass located in an unorganized territory or on a First Nations reserve (except in cases where the Band Council of that reserve has chosen to manage temporary patio approvals themselves) and wish to have a temporary patio immediately adjacent to the by-the-glass area, please see below for more information on how to apply to the AGCO.
All distilleries with a By-the-Glass Endorsement must continue to apply to the AGCO for any temporary indoor physical extensions. Please see below for more information on the requirements and how to apply.
Manufacturers holding a valid By-the-Glass Endorsement in an unorganized territory or on a First Nations reserve (except in cases where the Band Council of that reserve has chosen to manage temporary patio approvals themselves) may apply to the AGCO to temporarily extend the outdoor area to which the By-the-Glass Endorsement applies that is immediately adjacent to the premises for up to eight months in a calendar year. A licensee can only sell and serve liquor on a temporary patio after obtaining approval from the Registrar of the temporary patio. No licensing fee is required.
Prior to applying to the AGCO for a temporary outdoor physical extension of a By-the-Glass area, it is important to take note of the following:
Manufacturers holding a valid By-the-Glass Endorsement may apply to the Registrar of the AGCO to temporarily extend an indoor area that is immediately adjacent to the premises to which a By-The-Glass Endorsement applies (for a period specified by the Registrar). The Registrar will consider applications on a case-by-case basis.
Prior to applying to the AGCO for a temporary indoor physical extension of a By-the-Glass area, it is important to take note of the following:
The following will be required for your application:
See Appendix B – Calculating the Dimensions of a Proposed Extended Licensed Area.