Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

KAMLOOPS CRAFT BREWS

Celebrating milestones and fresh starts within the Kamloops craft brewing scene

Nov 1, 2019 | 5:03 PM

KAMLOOPS — It will be a lively weekend for the Kamloops craft beer scene, with Red Collar Brewing celebrating its five-year anniversary.

“It’s been kind of crazy,” says Lara Beardsell, a member of Red Collar’s founding family, turned marketing and wholesale distribution coordinator. “The last two-and-a-half years have been so different than the first two-and-a-half years.”

Three days of events will be highlighted by the brewery’s Quad beer tastings, live music and a hangover brunch, added to the unique pet-friendly feature offered by the dog-loving business on its outdoor patio space.

“I do think it’s a major draw. Some days we have so many dogs,” laughs Beardsell, “There are days where we have just as many dogs as humans.” Five years ago, Red Collar became the city’s second craft beer set-up, preceded by the Noble Pig. Since then, its craft beer pub and wholesale distribution model have found a successful rhythm.

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“So you can get Red Collar on tap at quite a lot of locations here in town. I distribute all the way up to Prince George, down through the Okanagan, into the Kootenays, all the way down into the Lower Mainland,” she explains. “That’s still 50 per cent of our business.”

In the years since Noble Pig and Red Collar opened, they’ve been joined by Iron Road, Alchemy, and most recently, Bright Eye Brewing.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

Bright Eye co-managing partner Richard Marken says the landscape for beer drinkers in Kamloops has changed a lot in the last decade.

“When I was first involved in it 10 years ago, not everybody understood craft beer,” he explains. “They thought craft beer was too hoppy, maybe too bitter. It was a lot of education that had to go on; we had to teach people about these beers. And then now we have five breweries in town that do an amazing job.”

Two years in the making, Bright Eye offers an array of made-in-house beers, and Marken says even non-beer drinkers would be able to find something to enjoy.

“It’s an eclectic space. It’s really funky, it’s different. I think they’ll find unique things all over the place,” Marken says, “We’re really excited to be on the North Shore. We love to be in an area where people can just walk over, rather than drive their car. We just think this is the place to be.”

Given the steady stream of loyal customers each venue in Kamloops has garnered, brew experts figure the industry has found a solid city to grow in for the years to come.