Canada

It was pretty terrible back then. It was the same in BC though, as I spent a fair bit of time there too. A few years into AB privatization, there was a huge discrepancy between the two provinces. BC caught up but they also moved somewhat to a privatized model, so I guess maybe that could be taken into account.

But you would never find a "craft" beer in the ALCB, even though there were small brewers making good stuff. But they had no real way to sell it. There was a specific store in Edmonton where there were a few non-mass market beers available, but it was really spotty for supply.

For a while there, you could buy hard liquors in BC for a better price than AB, things like Drambuie, but I think they eventually lowered the backroom price on spirits and that brought it more in line.