As part of an annual dual birthday event, I was able to participate in a group bike convoy from Rutland to the burgeoning brewery hub in Kelowna’s Cultural District this Saturday. Fair weather and fairer company made for a long overdue foray down the Okanagan Rail Trail with friends and neighbours aboard pedal bikes to hit four of the local craft breweries (and one cidery) that have adjusted their facilities to address provincial health concerns and are back serving up quality food and beverages for appreciative and eager Locals that have been itching to get back on the scene.
Bluetooth speaker pumping a random selection of my eclectic Spotify playlist, we rolled up first to Jack Knife Brewing. A new experience for me, I was curious to see what this latest addition to the local community had to offer. Stepping in to the tasting area I immediately noticed the Norse themes and Viking-esque motifs embraced not only in the runic style script on the menu board and the edgy label artwork displayed on the rustic paneled walls, but even in the names of the beer on tap, including “Azathoth” and the soon to be released “Hammer of Doom” (coming back for that one). The jack knives epoxied into the live edge tables were a nice touch. I half expected my selections to be served in a horn of some kind. Style points given for sure.
I decided to partake of the 2 for $7 offer and see if the self proclaimed “weird beer” was as interesting as the space. This time out I chose beverages on relatively opposite sides of the ale spectrum, going with the Lucidity, a double dry hopped wheat ale with notes of rhubarb and lime, and the Arcane, billed as a dark Lithuanian farmhouse ale. Both were solid offerings and maintained a solid traditional flavour while still adding interest to the palette with unique subtleties in the brew. Of the two I leaned a little more towards the farmhouse ale as it struck more with my own tastes but it looks like for a new establishment, the folks at Jack Knife are off to a good start. I will certainly add this spot to my regular rotation and will have to come back to see if the pizza is as good as the first impression. I grabbed a jack knife t-shirt for good measure to add to my wardrobe of bad-assery 🙂
A short few steps next door to visit our friends at Kettle River. We beat the rush and were able to slide right up to the tap and check out the rotation for the summer at one of my favourite small batch breweries. While I am partial to their darker offerings, the five brews featured currently were of the lighter seasonal variety so I was forced to diverge from my usual go-to and chose a flight of four including the Nice Driveway Pilsner, Business in the Front blond ale, couch monkey pale ale, and the Nuclear Splash IPA, the latter of which was a consensus standout amongst the group. I have not had a visit to KVB in which I was not impressed by the friendliness of the staff and today was no exception. Great vibe all around with more rustic elements of wood metal and stone decor and what could be more Canadian than a canoe hanging from the ceiling and a restroom plastered with vintage hockey cards? Another good stop.
Our next destination was a short ride south towards another new establishment in Rustic Reel. It was easy to see why the place was as packed as as could be given the state of the world and required distancing would allow. An outstanding patio and large, spacious seating area accommodated a full house of patrons but despite the line we got in quickly for yet another flight of beer and, as we were getting peckish, a bite from the kitchen as well. Four more little beauties to sample included their Amber Ale, a truly delightful brown Radler, a tasty black currant sour and their Imperial Sweet Potato Brown ale which was also thoroughly enjoyable. As much as the brews were knocking it out of the park, if you happen to come round you must try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with burnt maple syrup, apple jam and homemade corn bread. Absolutely mouth watering. Look for a future feature on Rustic Reel as this one became an instant favourite. I will also have to check out the side entrance where word has it a local coffee brewer known as the Local Chemist serves up specialty coffee on certain days.
Fortunately we had booked ahead for a cider tasting at BC Tree Fruits next door and were able to pop right to the back table to take in a series from their Core and Keg series. Now the core series is readily available around town so I was looking forward to the keg series but we were limited to one taste from the Keg series each. It would have been nice to hit up three or four of the seasonal menu but we will be back to restock our growler with my personal fave of the list, the Plum Basil cider.
Back out to Ellis for our final stop before heading back up the Rail Trail. Kudos to Adam at Red Bird Brewing for recognizing Kelowna’s need for more live music venues. I had a look at the impressive expansion plans for this ever popular spot, which include a huge addition to their seating capacity, a rooftop patio, on site brewing facilities, full kitchen and not one but two stages (both indoor and out). Can’t wait to see it come to fruition as this new phase will cement Red Bird as one of the pillars of the downtown entertainment scene. I’m the meantime we got to enjoy some live music on a more modest loading dock which will suffice in the here and now, while knocking back a final paddle of beers. To close off the night I went with the Lady of the Lake Lager, the Pilsner, a Paramount Porter and my Red Bird pick of the night, the tasty Tomb Stout. Locals will recognize the homages paid out to local historical Kelowna institutions such as the old Paramount Theatre and Paul’s Tomb.
It was a great end to a great evening and I’m glad I could share some highlights with you along the way. Stay tuned for some more in depth looks at a few of tonight’s locations. Till next time, live Local…