Penticton, BC, April 4-5, 2003

Edmonton Home Brewer’s Guild members Bruce & Dory Sample and Glen & Linda Hannah jetted the WestJet 08:10 am flight direct to Kelowna on Friday morning to take in two days of sampling some crafted ales from Western Canada’s finest microbreweries.

A warm welcome was given to three American microbreweries that were on hand representing Washington State. Eighteen breweries served up their namely brews like “Grampa Clem’s Brown Ale” and “Back Hand of God Stout” that were well received both days. The convention hall was literally sold out, if that could ever happen! It took me over an hour to find my wife! Friday night ended at 9 pm but many carried on elsewhere. Our crew managed to weather the storm well that night and were able to carry on the following day.

Blood shot eyes and hangovers were abundant on the Saturday morning when the festival reopened at noon. Linda and I and a friend of ours didn’t plan on returning back for noon – it just happened that way. Bruce and Dory toured some wineries and met us later in the afternoon. The American microbrews all ran out of supply early Saturday afternoon. A strange liquor law exists and at the time of this writing I’m not sure if it’s provincial or federal legislation but a brewery cannot enter into Canada with more than three kegs of beer to donate otherwise duties and other tariffs are imposed.

Popular beers included: Alpine Munich Marzen, Alpine Bavarian Dunkel from Alpine Brewing (US); Barley Mill Pale Ale, Cayuse Wheat Ale from Barley Mill Brewpub; Black Bear Ale, Hemp Cream Ale, Kamloops Honey Lager from Bear Brewing; Scotch Ale, India Pale Ale, Blonde Pale Ale from Boundary Bay Brewing Co. (US); Newcastle Brown, Extra Special Pale Ale, 1516 Bavarian Lager from OK Spring; Skaha Bluff’s Light Blonde Ale, Giant’s Head Gold Canadian Ale, Naramatta Nut Brown Ale, Indian Rock IPA from Cannery Brewing Co.; Kick in the Pants Ale, Red Branch Irish Ale, Back Hand of God Stout from Crannog Ales; Cypress Honey Lager, Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale, Killarney Stout from Granville Island Brewing Co; Salt Spring Golden Ale; Mayne Sale Ale, Pender Island Porter from Gulf Island Brewery, Wild Honey Authentic Ale, Paddywack India Pale Ale, Old Brewery Pale Ale from Nelson Brewing Co.; Chilliwack Blonde, Old Yale Pale Ale, Sergeant’s IPA from Old Yale Brewing Co.; Canterbury Dark Mild, Natureland Organic Lager from Pacific Western Brewing Co.; India Pale Ale, Maple Cream Ale, Expresso Stout from Phillips Brewing; Mullen’s Special Blonde Ale, Ridge Traditional Vienna Marzen, Ridge Old English Bitter Ale from Ridge Brewing Co.; Shaftebury Cream Ale, Shaftebury Honey Pale Ale, Summer Solstice Ale from Shaftebury Brewing Co. (OK Spring); Coyote Ale, Black Widow Dark Ale, Killer Bee Dark Honey Ale from Tin Whistle Brewing Co.; La Maudite, La Terrible, La Fin du Monde from Unibroue Inc. and Boulder Creek Golden Bock, Bushwaker, Grampa Clem’s Brown Ale from Winthrop Brewing Co. (US).

Because this was an ale fest, ales were pretty well the entire menu. The usual ales were available to try: pale’s, blonde’s, IPA’s, nut brown’s, wheat’s and honey brown’s. There were exceptions and kudos to them for bringing variety: Alpine Brewing – Munich Marzen & Bavarian Dunkel, Ridge Brewing – Vienna Marzen, and Winthrop with their Golden Bock among others.

Bruce and I were looking for more obscure beers and we found some. Phillips Brewing out of Victoria and Granville Island from Vancouver were serving Maple Cream Ale. I know this style has been around but I had never tried one before. Pale in colour, hint of maple flavour with a dry, crisp finish. Reminds me of the days when I was a kid going to sugaring off parties. Not the beer but the maple syrup of course! Unibroue had generated a lot of interest with La Maudite, La Terrible and La Fin du Monde. But perhaps the most interesting beer I tried was ‘Kick in the Pants Ale’, a cask conditioned ale dry hopped with Goldings brewed by Crannog Ales in Sorrento, BC, about an hour and a half drive from Kamloops in the Shuswap region of the province. They also have a potato stout that I didn’t get to try. Brian the brewer will take anything that grows from his farm and try to create a beer from it. Their story is rather unique. Currently they are Canada’s only certified organic farmhouse microbrewery. The brewery sits on a ten-acre farm with the brewery providing feed for the livestock and the farm providing the hops (Goldings, Fuggles, Nuggett, Willamette, Bullion, Mt. Hood, Centennial and Cascade) for the brewery. Their malts come from Armstrong, BC an hour away from the farm. I guess you can say their ingredients come from the same bioregion (is that right Kevin) and quality control is easily monitored.

The festival was a great experience. I discovered different brews and learned about some new breweries I had never heard of before. Looking forward to the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria next year.