You can bring in a duty-free personal allowance of one alcohol option, not all three: 1.5 L of wine , 1.14 L of spirits/liquor , or 8.5 L of beer/ale when entering Canada by car after being away for 48 hours or more.

A few important points:

  • You must be of legal drinking age in the province where you enter Canada.
  • If you bring more than the duty-free amount, you’ll usually have to pay duties and taxes, and provincial limits may also apply.
  • The allowance is for personal use, not commercial import.

Quick amounts

  • Beer: 8.5 L (about 24 cans/bottles of 355 mL).
  • Wine: 1.5 L (about two 750 mL bottles).
  • Spirits: 1.14 L (about one large standard bottle).

Border note

If your trip was less than 48 hours , you generally do not get the alcohol personal exemption.

TL;DR: For a car trip from the U.S. to Canada, the usual free allowance is one of: 24 beers, 2 bottles of wine, or 1 bottle of spirits , as long as you were away for 48+ hours.