The Okanagan is starting to get recognized for alcohol that isn’t just wine.
Lonely Planet, one of the world’s most respected sources for travel tips, has dubbed Penticton the craft beer capital of Canada.
Penticton had just one brewery two decades ago, but that number has jumped to seven in recent years.
The newest, Neighbourhood Brewery, is expected to open this summer.
“That distinguishes Penticton as one of the foamiest cities in the provinces, with one brewery per 4,857 people,” explains the piece on Lonely Planet.
“It ranks amongst the most breweries per capita of any Canadian city – and to put that in perspective, Calgary has an estimated one brewery for every 29,411 people.”
Part of that growth is courtesy of Okanagan Fest of Ale, the constantly growing beer festival that takes over the South Okanagan every April.
While none of the city’s breweries are massive, they’ve all been producing delicious craft beer that's been recognized with a number of awards.
It sounds like it’s going to stay that way as well, with the focus being on breweries staying within their means and producing a world-quality product.
“No one is looking to become a huge, massive brewery,” says Kim Lawton, marketing director for Cannery Brewing. “Everyone wants to grow as big as they need to be.”
