It’s no secret that Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley are major wine destinations, but thanks to a bounty of fresh produce, like crisp apples and juicy peaches, the region offers a delicious selection of all sorts of craft beverages. From businesses making crisp apple ciders to cherry-based seltzers to apricot ales, here are a few Okanagan spots offering thoughtfully made drinks crafted with regional ingredients.
If you’re looking to wet your whistle with a beer or a cocktail…
Head to Lakesider Brewing Co. for a tasting flight of craft beer. Located in West Kelowna, the brewery offers a core selection, including a raspberry sour and a citrusy haze pale ale, as well as more experimental beers with season-based favourites, such as an apricot ale or a Belgian ale aged on local cherries.
In Kelowna’s north end, find Born to Shake (BTS) Cocktail Bar and Kitchen. BTS is a retailer by day and a speakeasy by night, so when you taste the perfect cocktail — whether it’s the blueberry margarita or the smoky old fashioned — you can purchase the syrups the bartenders use to bring home and make it yourself. BTS sells signature cocktail kits with everything you need to bring those fresh Okanagan flavours home.
Farming Karma is an excellent option for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic sips. Based in Kelowna, the family-run company uses premium local apples and cherries in its beverages. Farming Karma offers a selection of fruit-based sodas, mocktails and cocktails.
If you love spirits…
You’re in luck! The Okanagan is home to several craft distilleries, including Western Canada’s very first one, Okanagan Spirits. Distilling spirits with local B.C. grain and fruits since 2004, the distillery has two locations, one in the heart of Kelowna and the other in Vernon. Swing by the locations to enjoy specially curated tasting events, including the Farm-to-Flask Experience, where you’ll learn how the spirits are made and taste four different varieties, and the Whisky Experience, for the ultimate insight on crafting whisky.
In southeast Kelowna, Luckhurst Farm and Distillery crafts vodka, gin and limoncello, and will soon serve its own whisky starting next summer. Thanks to spirits made with home-grown barley, Luckhurst ensures the taste of the Okanagan in every glass. Guests can choose to sample the spirits straight or sip on a mix of sample cocktails.
When you want to taste the Okanagan’s juicy apples…
Head to one of the region’s cideries. In Kelowna, Soma Craft Cidery prepares its ciders in small batches, made with 100 per cent fresh-pressed apples — no artificial flavours and no added sugar. The cidery offers four varieties of small-batch cider, including two seasonally rotating flavours.
Also in Kelowna, Wards Cider has embraced the flavours of the Okanagan for five generations. Today, Wards Cider operates out of its family’s original packing house built in 1922. Wards offers a selection of traditional ciders, with flavours like peach and ginger, as well as a collection of cider cocktails.
For those who like cider with a twist, Truck 59 Cider steers away from predictable tastes and pairs unexpected flavours with cider, like blueberry hazelnut and bourbon blackberry. Located in West Kelowna, the cider house also bridges the gap between orchard and vineyard, offering cider-wine hybrids that delightfully surprise guests.
To learn more about the Okanagan’s local flavours and great sip spots, visit tourismkelowna.com/explore/spots/sip/
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