Craft beer is becoming more and more popular, and with good reason.
So what is craft beer?
Craft beer creates an experience for the consumer.
It’s made-up of 3 perceptions:
Appearance aroma and flavor.
Most commonly 4 ingredients:
Hops, malt, yeast and water.
And can be enjoyed by:
Food pairing.
The Brewers Association (Denver, Colorado) describes a ‘craft brewer’ as;
“small, independent, and traditional.”
They also use the description; “The hallmark of craft beer and craft brewers is innovation. Craft brewers interpret historic styles with unique twists and develop new styles that have no precedent.”
So where can you find good craft beer in the Okanagan?
Keep reading to find out!
**Full list of breweries and brewpubs across the Okanagan below
**Last updated 01. 25/2017
1. Salmon Arm
The Barley Station Brewpub.
Now perhaps I may be slightly biased (considering it belongs to my family), but this beer truly is delicious. Having won many awards ( Including a recent gold medal for their Bushwacker Brown Ale – Canadian Brewing Awards 2016 ) their five signature beers are enjoyed regularly by locals and travellers alike. Apart from the “always-on-tap” Blonde Ale, Pilsner, Wit, Brown Ale, and Pale Ale, the brewery also features seasonal beers all-year round. They have everything from Raspberry Ales in the spring, to Irish Stouts in the fall, and the 12 days of Porter around Christmas.
Beer isn’t the only thing they’re brewing in-house, they also make cold brew nitro coffee, and kombucha!
The brewery is attached to a restaurant with great in-house made food.
Oceanwise fish – Certified Angus Beef (burgers made in-house)
On their menu you can find beer pairing suggestions to most of their meals.
My favorite is the Lobster Mac N’ Cheese paired with a cold Talking Dog Wit!
Check out their events page here to see when they have live music!
Other accomplishments
2008 winner of the Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce business excellence “Green Award”
Raised $ for the Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser, selling their specially made Honey Red Ale.
Address: 20 Shuswap Street S.E.
Website: http://barleystation.com/
Kelowna
Tree Brewing
Tree Brewing has been making great beers since 1996. They offer a variety of different cans/bottles of their beers for off-sales. Their three year-round beers (The Cutthroat West Coast Ale, Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale, and Kelowna Pilsner), are definitely not the only beers they’re brewing. If you’re a hop-lover, try their Hop Head IPA, or if you’re into a fruitier beer they make a great Grapefruit Radler, and an awesome Pineapple Hefeweizen.
Plus! If you’re lucky, they may just have in-stock their Barrel Aged Whisky Beer, or Red Wood Wine Ale.
Tree Brewing – Address: 1083 Richter Street
Website: http://www.treebeer.com/
If you’d prefer to sit down and enjoy one of their beers straight off the tap, head over to the Tree Brewing Beer Institute. There, you can enjoy always fresh beer, and pair it with a hand-crafted pizza made with leftover spent grain for the crust!
Tree Brewing Beer Institute – Address: 1346 Water St
Website: http://www.treebrewingbeerinstitute.com/
Sorrento
Crannóg Ales
Certified Organic! This self-sustaining brewery is located on an organic farm in the Okanagan. They grow all their owns hops, and use any left-over spent grain to feed their animals or use as compost. They have created a zero-emissions system by reusing their waste-water. Their beer is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and made using only organic ingredients.
They have a selection of beer that you can try on tap across the Shuswap and Okanagan, here is a list of all the locations that have Crannog Ales on tap
TIP! You HAVE to try their Back Hand of God Stout. (1st place “Best Beer” at the Okanagan Fest-of-Ale, 2000 and 2007; At the Hops, 2000 and 2001; and “Best Organic Alcoholic Beverage” at the Organic Harvest Awards, 2005, repeatedly wins Silver and Bronze for Best Beer in BC from the Campaign for Real Ale, 2006-2016)
Visit their Brewery
Sales (growlers and swag): Thursday – Saturday, 8:30 – 4:30
Tours/Tastings: May-October, Friday and Saturday, 1:00 to 3:30 By appointment only
Office Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 8:30 – 4:30 Closed Sunday and Monday
Tours/Tastings/Visits: By appointment only, Friday and Saturday only, between 1:00 and 3:30. You must call ahead to visit the brewery.
Address: 706 Elson Road
Website: http://www.crannogales.com/
More Craft-Breweries in the Okanagan
Penticton
Bad Tattoo Brewing
Address: 169 Estabrook Ave.
Website: badtattoobrewing.com
Barley Mill
Address: 2460 Skaha Lake Rd.
Website: barleymillpub.com
Cannery Brewing
Address: 112 – 1475 Fairview Rd.
Website: cannerybrewing.com
Tin Whistle Brewing
Address: 954 Eckhardt Ave. W.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinWhistleBrew
Kelowna
Big Surf Beer Co.
Address: 8860 Jim Bailey Crescent
Website: bigsurfbeer.com
Mill Creek Brewery
Address: 124 – 948 McCurdy Rd.
Website: mccurdybowl.com
Fernie
Firehall Brewery
Address: 6077 Main St.
Website: Firehallbrewery.com
Vernon
Marten Brewing Co.
Address: 2933 30th Ave.
Website: martenbrewpub.com
Okanagan Springs Brewery
Address: 2808 27 Ave.
Website: okspring.com
Kamloops
The Noble Pig Brewhouse
Address: 650 Victoria St.
Website: thenoblepig.ca
Red Collar Brewing Co.
Address: 355 Lansdowne St.
Website: redcollar.ca
Cheers!
Don’t forget to leave a comment below telling me about your favorite beer, and where to find them!
