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Provincial Politics

Alberta bars, restaurants now allowed to serve alcohol starting at 6 AM

Jun 9, 2026 | 1:10 PM

New liquor rules could see Albertans be able to drink up soon after they wake up.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission says licensed bars, restaurants and other establishments can now serve alcohol as early as 6 a.m.

Licensed businesses and clubs used to need special permission to serve alcohol before 9 a.m. if special events like the Olympics or the Calgary Stampede were on.

But the commission says that process created too much paperwork, so it’s letting licence holders decide when to turn on the taps.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally says businesses told the province they wanted more flexibility to meet the needs of their customers and the change means the government is listening.

AGLC says it saw very few compliance issues during past events but it plans to monitor how the change rolls out across the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.