Victoria Day Long Weekend Drinks Guide GTA 2026

Victoria Day 2026 falls on Monday, May 18. The LCBO and Beer Store are closed all day. That makes Saturday May 16 and Sunday May 17 the entire retail window for the long weekend — and Sundays cap at 6 PM. If you're driving to the cottage Friday or hosting the first real BBQ of the season, this is the weekend you actually need to think about stocking.

The Saturday Shopping Window

Friday May 15 still has full LCBO hours. Saturday May 16 most locations open 9:30 or 10 AM, close 9 PM. Sunday May 17: open 11 AM, close 6 PM. Monday May 18: closed everywhere.

If you're heading to cottage country Friday afternoon, stock before you leave. Smaller towns north of Toronto have limited LCBO locations with shorter hours, and the line at the Bracebridge or Huntsville LCBO Saturday morning is genuinely 30+ deep.

What to Pack — The Long Weekend Checklist

Beer (the volume play)

For a group of 6 over a long weekend, plan on ~4 beers per person per day. That's 72+ beers minimum — order in 12-packs to keep the math simple. Cold lagers (Coors Light, Molson Canadian) and pilsners (Stella Artois, Heineken) carry the day. Toss in a 12-pack of White Claw for the seltzer crowd.

Wine for dinner

Two bottles of red, two bottles of white, one rosé per six guests per night. Light reds (Pinot Noir, Beaujolais) work for grilled food. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio handle the salads and fish. Rosé covers the in-betweens.

Spirits for the bar

Pick two: vodka and tequila for cocktails, or whiskey and gin for sipping. Add Cointreau or triple sec, a sweet vermouth, and Aperol — covers Margaritas, Negronis, Aperol Spritzes, and Old Fashioneds. Bottle-of-each is plenty for a six-person weekend.

Mixers and limes

Tonic, ginger ale, soda water, grapefruit soda. Fresh limes (a dozen, not six). Ice — and more ice. Cottage freezers don't make enough ice for a real long weekend. Bring or buy bags.

If You Forgot

J&J operates normally on the Victoria Day Monday. Same 24/7 schedule across the entire GTA — Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Burlington, and North York. Cottage country is out of our delivery range, but if you've come back into the GTA Monday evening and the fridge is empty, we've got it covered.

Order at jnjalcoholdelivery.ca or call (437) 328-0030. Holiday-weekend Sunday and Monday traffic can push delivery to 45 minutes — order early in the evening if you're tight on time.