If you’re following the food and beverage trends in B.C., you’ll know that one of the hottest trends right now is craft beer.
The demand for craft beer is growing at an unprecedented rate as consumers enjoy an ever-increasing selection of hand-crafted beers of varying styles and flavours.
The Okanagan craft beer market is also burgeoning as new craft breweries open and existing craft breweries expand.
“We’ve always been proud to feature great craft beers at our pub,” said James Bryan, executive chef and manager of food and beverage at the Kettle Valley Station Pub “We work hard to ensure our craft beer list features a selection of local favourites and a diverse mix of other regional and seasonal offerings.”
To meet this increased demand, the Kettle Valley Station Pub recently expanded their craft beer selection to include offerings from Penticton’s newest craft brewery, Bad Tattoo Brewing and they are now set to embark on a new cask event series.
“On the third Thursday of every month this fall and winter we will feature a special cask beer made exclusively for our pub. We’re kicking off our cask event series this Thursday, Nov. 20 with a special collaborale made by four of our area craft breweries,” said Bryan. “This one-time exclusive cask beer was made jointly by the brewers from Bad Tattoo Brewing, Cannery Brewing, Firehall Brewery and Tin Whistle Brewing. The beer is a stout and the brewers added bourbon-soaked Okanagan plums, vanilla beans and oak chips.”
The cask will be tapped at 5 p.m. and is first come first served. Bryan encourages people to come early because once it is gone, they will not be serving it again. To add some fun to the process, the Kettle Valley Station Pub invited everyone to submit a name for the cask. Visit their Facebook page and enter your name suggestion by 5 p.m. on Nov. 20. You could win bragging rights and a $25 gift certificate to the Kettle Valley Station Pub.
With the growth of craft beer, there is also interest in forming a new Okanagan chapter of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).
“At the Nov. 20th cask event, we’ll also have a discussion about the level of interest in the formation of a CAMRA chapter here in the Okanagan. CAMRA groups have become really popular in other parts of B.C. and we’re excited about the possibility of hosting CAMRA meetings here every month in conjunction with our cask events,” said Bryan.
Future cask nights are planned for Dec. 18, Jan. 15, Feb. 19 and March 19.