Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

CRAFT BEER SCENE

Combination of buy-local push, unsaturated market key for Kamloops breweries

Feb 7, 2025 | 4:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The financial struggles of BC’s craft brewing industry have come to a head in recent months, with a dozen operations shutting down last year. December saw at least three breweries close throughout the Okanagan, but in Kamloops, the craft brewing scene has been kept afloat by a less saturated market and a push to drink local.

Iron Road Brewing is one of only five craft breweries in Kamloops, but co-owner Richard Phillips says they’re not exempt from the pressures others in the industry are dealing with. Malt, yeast and CO2 to make beer and food products for the meals and appetizers served in the taproom have all grown in price.

On top of that, Phillips cites a change in consumer spending habits. It all contributes to the situation they find themselves in — not wanting to raise prices, while also trying to ensure production costs aren’t rising beyond a sustainable level. However, Phillips says a positive trend with the Kamloops market regularly purchasing craft beer has allowed local brew pubs like Iron Road to weather the change.

“From my understanding, all the businesses in town are kind of hanging in there. We’re all just trying to tighten our belts and make sure we’re only spending money on the things that we need to be spending money on,” he notes. “It’s the kind of things where you’d be not looking at any big equipment purchases and trying to make sure that you’re keeping cash in the bank because we don’t know really how long this might go on for.”

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However, Phillips cites a health demand for locally-made beer in the Tournament Capital, which has kept taps flowing and maintained beer deliveries to liquor stores and restaurants. And the idea of shopping local has also spread into how the business spends its money on supplies.

“Say in our case, we use Fresh is Best chips up the hill. They’re literally two blocks away,” explains Phillips. “It is something. The push to support local is going to be something that’s important depending on what happens with the trade wars as they come along. But I feel like Kamloops is great for that and we really appreciate it.”