Okanagan breweries were tapped for medals at the B.C. Beer Awards and Festival.
Tin Whistle Brewing Company submitted their one-time brew Pinot Noir Raspberry Blond Ale and won a gold medal in the fruit beer category.
“This unfiltered blond ale was aged in a Pinot Noir barrel with Fraser Valley raspberries for four months. It is fruity and slightly tart with acidity from the raspberries and red wine. It is light-bodied and pours a beautiful red colour,” said Lorraine Nagy from Tin Whistle Brewery.
The idea for the craft brew came up by happenstance. Mike Nagy, sales rep for Tin Whistle, said he came across a couple of wine barrels and around the same time a friend of his brought him flats of raspberries. It then clicked that he could use both of these to create a unique beer.
This isn’t the first time Tin Whistle was recognized for their brews. They have previously won gold for their Stag Apple Scotch Ale and a bronze medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards.
The brewery has it on tap at their location in the Cannery Trade Centre on Fairview Road. It is also available at Craft Corner Kitchen while quantities last. In Kelowna, it can be found at The Xchange on Dickson Avenue.
Cannery Brewing Company’s Baltic Porter took second place in the European Dark Beer Category.
The classic Baltic Porter is brewed with traditional German malts and noble hops. Its sweet roasted flavour combined with a spark of dark fruit embraces the warmth of the alcohol. Its dark lager characteristics allow a rich, velvet smoothness to blast through to the finish.
Tree Brewing Co., based in Kelowna, won a bronze medal for their Thirsty Beaver Amber Ale in the North American Amber Ale category.
The medium bodied beer is made with perle and cascade hops and has a distinct malt character with caramel and nut undertones. It has previously won a silver medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards in 2012 and a bronze and the 2011 Canadian Brewing Awards.
The awards take place during October’s B.C. Craft Beer Month and featured almost 60 breweries.
Craft beer is one of B.C.’s fastest growing industries.
“In six years, B.C. has seen the number of craft breweries grow from 54 to 118 breweries provincewide, with more on the horizon,” said minister of small business, red tape reduction and minister responsible for the liquor distribution branch Coralee Oakes. “With the recent 25 per cent mark-up reduction on craft beer, the province has doubled down on its support of innovation, investment and expansion in the craft beer sector.
See the full list of the 2016 B.C. Beer Awards Winners here.
