Kelowna

As we rolled our bikes into the lobby, we were greeted with an oasis-like vision and a large glistening turquoise pool with joyous families splashing about. A refreshing dip would have to wait as our stomachs were in urgent need of some TLC. A quick freshen up and we beelined it to the cultural district for a quintessential introduction to Kelowna’s craft beer scene. 

The craft beer scene in Kelowna has exploded in recent years, from only eight breweries in 2018 to upwards of 24 today. One of those is BNA Brewing, named after its location in the original factory that housed the British North American Tobacco Company where tobacco leaves were dried and then rolled into cigars. Initially standing as a black box, the brewery owners sandblasted the building to reveal a magnificent brick masonry exterior. This all-in-one fun house is equipped with everything any type of human could need: a restaurant; lounge; patio; fire pit; tasting room; casual sit-down burger joint; arcade with vintage pinball machines and stand-up videogames like Ms. Pac-Man; six-lane bowling alley; Skee-ball; bocce court; board games galore; an indoor swing and we can’t forget the converted airstream trailer-turned-bar at the head of the dance floor. 

Jill Jarrett, BNA’s Marketing Director greeted us at our patio table and kindly gave us a tour of this ever-growing adult playground. In 2014, owners Kyle and Carolyn Nixon, both born and raised in Kelowna, saw their family sell the hotel they worked at, The Eldorado, after 25 years in business. They decided to kickstart their dreams of opening a local brewery with the tight-knit family of eight they had fostered at the hotel. BNA Brewing opened its doors a year later in June 2015, eventually expanding into the motorcycle shop next door where the tasting room now resides. Their other neighbour, Flashbacks Nightclub, shuttered and allowed them to grow into the establishment you now see today. Our walk down memory lane with Jill ended just in time for the arrival of our two tasting flights, including their signature 76 Wolverine lager, along with five other refreshing testers: the Seaside Cerveza, Purple Rain sour, Regatta Beach Sour Club, Ace hazy pale, and Animal NE IPA. BNA brews their craft beers onsite — the brewhouse visible from many of the windows with 12 taps pouring at all times.

The Purple Rain and Regatta were our faves, our palates leaning more towards the enlivening nature of sour and fruity notes on this balmy summer night. Award-winning chef Justin Best’s Beef Rendang was addictively savoury, with the short rib succulent and tender. It was no wonder our server said it was a crowd favourite with its recipe soon to be available in their upcoming cookbook. The fennel sausage pizza was a thin crust delight, the mascarpone, edam and mozzarella cheeses forming a creamily symphonic foil to the bright notes of fennel spice shining through the sausage and delicately chili-kissed tomato sauce. A beet and quinoa salad rounded off our meal in a texturally triumphant display of crispy dehydrated root vegetables and lime kale chips atop a bed of local arugula, marinated beets and toasted pumpkin seeds tossed in a perfect umami cider dressing. We could barely hold back from licking our plates. By the time we finished our meal, the environment inside and out had seamlessly transitioned from a casual fine dining brewery into something more akin to a nightclub bowling alley with the heart of a local drinking hole. Bachelor and bachelorette parties were out in full force and the sea of themed/matching outfits set the cheekily fun mood into action. Joy was in the air and it was a blissful start to our weekend of tasty delights, Okanagan style.

We shared two classic eggs, ham, bacon, toast and hashbrowns along with a smoked salmon benny and hollandaise before we set out for some mountain biking at Knox Mountain, Kelowna’s largest natural area park spanning 385 hectares. 

Only a short eight-minute drive from the hotel, we were surrounded by a beautiful desert landscape next to the Okanagan lakefront. Kelowna Bike Rentals was conveniently stationed right next to the visitor parking. As I’m more of a beginner rider, I picked up a small hardtail mountain bike. The ascent up to the two trailheads we had earmarked on the map, Simpson and Shale, was easily accessible via a paved road. Along the way we took a short water break and wheelie session at the Crown lookout, with sprawling views of Okanagan Lake and the surrounding vistas of Bear Creek Provincial Park and Raymer Bay Regional Park. 

Expect to see many forms of wildlife, flora and fauna. We were lucky enough to spot a small herd of deer sitting among the shaded trees. Before we knew it we were at the start of our descent and it was the ideal level of difficulty for a group with such varied abilities. Riding with more skilled intermediate riders is a great way to push yourself while picking up new tips on form and adjustments, especially when riding in a new environment that is drier and quite different from the rainforests along the coast. The beauty of these kinds of trails is that they have something to offer riders of all abilities. There is also a great variety of downhill and cross-country terrain. We spotted a trailhead for a cross-country ride to Kathleen Lake, an alkaline lake that was immediately added to my swim list for next time. 

After an invigorating afternoon of riding, our appetites were calling so we answered by going directly to El Taquero taqueria.

Owners Israel Camarillo and Marnie Burnett have carved out a colourful space inspired by the streetside taco stands of Mexico City. We plunked onto one of the vibrant patio picnic tables and ordered hibiscus ice teas all round. 

Norma was born and raised in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, so we followed her expert advice and ordered the tinga de pollo, pescado veracruz, carne asada, cochinita pibil and hongos al pastor tacos while she chose to go the crispy shell route, tostadas topped with pescado veracruz and tinga de pollo. Everything was authentic and delectable, from the homemade tortillas to the slow Mexican spice braised meats. After a mountain biking session, nothing is more satisfying than the deep richness of familial recipes from Mexico to the Okanagan, made all the more bright topped with homemade salsas, hot sauces, and picklings. Look out for their New Mexican concept eatery, a bigger and more comprehensive exploration into experimental Mexican food building upon Israel’s mother recipes named Chilango, opening soon at 520 Bernard Ave.  

On the heels of a taco-fueled second wind we headed to Tugboat Bay Beach in downtown Kelowna’s Waterfront Park for a much-needed cool down. Okanagan Beach Rentals was located beachside and offered an assortment of rentable water vehicles like paddle boards, canoes, kayaks and foot-powered pedal boats for a slower more relaxing on water experience. Tuti had brought an adorable baby pink paddle board from home so I rented one too. The lake had a consistent but gentle wake, making the paddle board ride much more fun than on still glassy water. Before we knew it the hour was up and we tumbled into the lake for a refreshing swim.

The water was the ideal temperature for a hot sunny day. But, as most people experience post-swim, no matter how long or short, your appetite will be calling, so afterwards we needed an ice cream, stat. Thankfully Parlour Ice Cream right across from City Park had us covered. Artisanal ice cream has a chokehold on me like no other and Parlour was no exception, with a long list of unique handcrafted flavours from fresh fruits to more rich dessert flavours like matcha, salted caramel, peanut butter chocolate, toasted coconut, birthday cake, lavender, London fog, cookie monster, tiramisu, cotton candy, pistachio, saffron rose and mud pie, as well as a plethora of vegan versions. Together we got the vegan mango, blueberry cheesecake and cherry chocolate and then lay down in the park next door under the shade of some giant trees. It was serene — nothing says summer like impromptu ice cream and a nap under a gently rustling canopy. 

To properly wake us from our beauty sleep we kick-started our evening at Jackknife Brewing, a heavy metal-themed brewery with a wide range of weird brews for the beer nerd who’s all about terroir, yeast strains, locally sourced ingredients and a penchant for classic pizza. We tried a couple of beers off the diverse menu and enjoyed them out on the quaint patio, where bountiful trays of pizza adorned picnic tables. The interior evoked more of a punk rock skate energy. 

Jackknife utilizes the famous Norwegian kveik strain of farmhouse yeast along with others from Latvia, Lithuania and Russia to ferment all of their beers. It’s this mix of Norwegian farmhouse brewer-cultivated kveik, a series of sometimes centuries-old yeasts, paired with Westcoast flavour profiles and locally sourced ingredients that sets this brewery apart. Baking mashes, barrel fermentation, raw ales, and using locally foraged ingredients as adjuncts are just some of the ancient brewing techniques and traditions they have had the pleasure of employing to produce beers that are emblematic of the Sqilxʷ/Syilx (Okanagan) Valley. 

To round off this day of all days, we wanted to check out Rustic Reel Brewing in the North End Brewery District, the only 100% female-owned brewery in town. Rustic Reel is a beautiful barnhouse-style brewery and tasting room with an impressively large patio spanning the entire length of the building — the most substantial patio of all the breweries we were lucky enough to visit. We took a seat inside in the back and enjoyed some air con by the fireplace on comfy lounge chairs with a treasure chest as a dining/lounge table. It was a homey scene right out of my cottagecore living room dreams. 

The rustic sausage flight, clad with locally sourced sausages, baked pretzels, pickled veg and dijon mustards, was presented much like the fine dining version of a deconstructed hot dog in a refined yet approachable way that was still conducive to sharing. I love an attempt to take something lowbrow and present it so unexpectedly that it prompts you to eat in an unorthodox way. The kale and brussel sprout salad was a textural pleasure, with marinated Honeycrisp apples, dried cranberries, preserved lemon yogurt, smoked gouda crisp and chilli pecans lending a welcome balance to the richness of the sausage flight. 

Our tasting flight consisted of the raspberry hibiscus sour, hazy IPA, peach apricot pale ale, and coconut lime blonde ale. Predictably, we absolutely loved the fruit blends, our favourites being the raspberry hibiscus and coconut lime blonde ale. We ate until we could eat no more.

Waking up to another gloriously sunlit morning, we headed off on a quick six-minute drive to Sprout Bread, a bustling local artisan bakery and breakfast cafe located in the arts and cultural district. You could tell this place was a fave among the locals by its interminable line. We had a good feeling that the brekky was going to be as delicious as the scent of fresh bread being hand kneaded and baked in our eye line adjacent to the front counter.

The luminous heritage space was open with high ceilings and a large patio for the cutest pups to laze around on a calm and peaceful Sunday. Fresh, naturally fermented local sourdough bread lined the shelves behind the till like trophies in a window display. Owner and sole proprietor Peter Van Boekhout has crafted a community bakery that produces from the heart, using wild yeast and the type of ambience conducive to writing a novella. After some ravenous anticipation, our avocado toast with a fried egg and thick-cut bacon, baked beans on toast and classic crispy smashed potatoes with eggs arrived, leaving us all grinning from ear to ear. Chef James Mackenzie has crafted a menu with simple and thoughtful food made with love from top quality ingredients, a recipe for a business that can stand the test of time, elevating the palates and standards of a community with close proximity to the farms where the food itself is grown.

Breakfast was such a delight that we had to head back to the hotel and laze around the pool to take it all in. The desert heat that vacations are made of was in full force on Sunday, so a quick nap was in order. When we got up, we noticed that Ben Lee Skatepark was a mere eight-minute drive from the Coast Capri, and as we had all brought our skateboards we went off to get some turns in at this beginner-friendly park. 

In need of a thirst quencher after skating, we traipsed into Copper Brewing for a tasting flight, but it was hard to choose just three with a selection of over 20 varieties on tap. Copper is a casual, modern industrial gastropub with high-quality offerings sourcing local ingredients. It all began with a home-brewed beer that led owners Darla Ariss and Sean White to conceive of Copper Brewing and its sister breakfast joint, Porters. An adorable wall of dog Polaroids lines their back wall. We quickly grabbed a box of Uno from the games wall and ordered a dealer’s choice flight with a side of Nashville hot wings and a spring salad. The pourer chose a blonde ale, hazy pale ale and blackcurrant sour. Our group has been on a sour streak of late so naturally, our favourite was the dry, light and fruity sour. 

Wild Ambition Brewing was the most highly anticipated brewery on our trip list because of its rare penchant for mixed fermentation brewing specializing in sours. Owners Theresa Cashen and Mitchell Kehoe were a wealth of knowledge and storytelling, making us feel incredibly welcome as our competitive sides were sparked during a casual game of Scrabble. Our group loves games of all kinds, and Wild Ambition did not disappoint with a hefty assortment of popular and obscure games perfect for a relaxing Sunday inside. 

The seeds of Wild Ambition brewery were sprouted on the other side of the country when Theresa and Mitchell were working and studying in Halifax. Mitchell was a sheet metal worker with a History of Science degree and a curiosity about historical brewing methods. 

Theresa was born in Kelowna but moved to Halifax to finish her commerce degree with a focus on entrepreneurship. A serendipitous string of rainy days gave Mitchell the extra time off work to more thoroughly experiment and research brewing techniques dating as far back as the 1800s, so much so that it led to a complete apartment home brewery takeover. At its peak, they had bins of grain stored in the bedroom, a fridge full of yeast, another two fridges for beer, a freezer for hops and fruit, and a homemade draught system with four to six beers on tap at all times. The success of this project led them towards the move from Nova Scotia to Kelowna so they could open Wild Ambition, the only brewery in the Interior of British Columbia with a focus on bottle-conditioned, mixed-fermentation ales featuring blends using whole fresh locally sourced fruit and wine-barrel aging. 

While the conical unitank is most widely used among modern breweries, producing brews in just two weeks, Wild Ambition brews take a minimum of eight weeks, allowing the yeast to naturally form CO2 carbonation, much like that of a brewery in the 1800s. Back then you couldn’t just go out and purchase a canister of CO2 — the slow method was the only option with about six weeks in the fermenting stage, with some fruit varietals fermenting for up to six months. 

Setting up a booth at the Kelowna Farmers Market allowed Theresa and Mitchell to form relationships with the same local fruit farmers who would go on to supply some of the plums, apricots, haskap berries, cherries, rhubarb, blackberries and peaches used in many of their libations. The beauty of working with fresh fruit sourced from family farms, orchards and vineyards along the Okanagan and Fraser Valleys lies in the deeper relationships cultivated through dialogue between brewer and yeast. There is a special reverence given to microbes, from the wild yeasts in the genus Brettanomyces to the wild microbes in real fruit. These ingredients are unmistakably imbued with a different character than what is found in the typical brewery. Instead of whole fresh fruit, most modern breweries use pasteurized fruit purees, which, though efficient and reliable for food safety, also destroy natural variation in microbes. Wild Ambition’s dedication to the evolution of melding historic brewing techniques with modern technologies allows them to foster dynamism and a symbiotic relationship between land and humans as living entities. 

Fruiting sours requires a deft intuition built on a foundationally holistic relationship to bacteria, giving respect to how bacterial life was originally formed, different from what microbes have been bred to do over the centuries. This results in flavours that can’t be replicated with modern brewing techniques, going back to times in history when we were not surrounded by capitalist consumerism and industrial agriculture practices, where the classic saison was what the Belgian farm worker would have consumed after a hard day’s work using ingredients leftover after harvest and when consumption was predicated on what the community had and what the community needed. Belgium is rife with monasteries and abbeys that birthed the bread, cheese and beer to fund their religious activities, reinforcing a holistic way of sustaining life. Wild Ambition has carved out a niche by adopting a Belgian beer cafe model with a full coffee program housed in their newly opened taproom, featuring sours and saisons in Belgian farmhouse styles. 

We couldn’t wait to try a couple of tasting flights after such an enthralling peek into the minds of this ambitious couple. We started with the Reinvigorated barrel-aged coffee sour, Flower Market hibiscus sour, Uncaged Progress barrel-aged haskap sour, Dew Point farmhouse IPA, Honest Mimic rye saison with apricot, and Plum Pudding Model with tart dark plums. The Uncaged Progress and Hibiscus Sour both spoke to our love of everything vital and fruity. Honest Mimic rye saison was a perfect blend of nuanced tang and the Reinvigorated barrel-aged coffee sour blew our minds. The presence of the coffee was only reminiscent in its scent as it hit our palate, sending our brains into a new space of floral notes blooming across the taste buds — a distinct flavour that challenged the perception of what coffee is and can be. 

Just 10 minutes down Highway 97, Frankie We Salute You! celebrates farm-to-table provisions, regional wine, craft beer, and seasonally inspired cocktails. Owners and chefs Brian and Christina Skinner have created a plant-based friendly hub that is an ode to their grandfathers and families who inspired their love of growing plants and building community. Hidden in an unassuming corner of the Landmark District Market, everything about FWSY! is elegantly curated to make you feel elevated but at home. Our memorable meal started out with mixed juices and cocktails. The Dr. Greenlove was a juicer’s dream, while a glimmering passionfruit julep and Amelia Bedilia cocktail provided the jolt of energy we needed to be truly present for this gem of a send-off dinner. 

We couldn’t have ended this trip with a more fitting commemoration of the Okanagan farm-to-table movement. Sushi Sunday was a fortuitous must — the crispy beet tuna oshi roll was a golden brown crunch cube topped with lightly marinated beets thinly cut to mimic the texture of tuna with a nice bite of sliced jalapeno pepper. The portobello crunch roll was topped with crispy bits, edamame and a dollop of miso sauce that should be bottled and on grocery store shelves immediately. Smoke whirled out of the mushroom pate, setting the stage for a true masterclass in creating depths of flavour with mushrooms and just the right spices served with a hearty stack of freshly toasted bread. Fake meats of the past bent the knee to the mock chorizo in the chorizo ranchero bowl. Accompanied by a selection of crunchy veggies, roasted potatoes, sweet corn salsa, tofu cotija, chilli sauce and more of the toothsome beets. Too full to house a dessert but too tempted to say no, we zeroed in on the creamy vanilla bean panna cotta with Okanagan fruit for us to share. It was a fitting end to an ideal getaway with loved ones and the best food and beer the inland oceanic climate could offer. 

Our last day in Kelowna started off right at Diner Deluxe, a beach-style diner emphasizing made-from-scratch comfort food using local and sustainable ingredients. The space was cozy with a breezy patio and simple, humble service. The super bowl and potato rösti were calling our names. Ground jalapeño chorizo sausage, avocado, sautéed mushrooms, arugula, and basil hollandaise made up the super bowl, with an over-easy egg oozing immaculately over sausage, cheese curds, double smoked bacon and basil hollandaise stuffed inside. 

We were primed and ready for one last round of mountain biking. Crawford Trails in Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park is the largest network of single-track trails in the Kelowna area. The drive up consisted of wonderful views of the city, including a string of local wineries. Since we had to head home later that day we consolidated our riding plans and prioritized Bench and Heckle trails. We were delighted by the breathtaking views, the trails well suited to intermediate riders with more advanced sections, challengingly steep and rocky in nature. It was a pleasure to see some green and blue trails also on the map. Many easier loops lay waiting for our next visit.  

Something special about the breweries in Kelowna is that they all have their own distinct personalities. No one is like the other and that makes it all the more difficult to leave one out. As devout dog lovers we couldn’t leave without visiting Unleashed Brewing. This dog-friendly brewery in the heart of Kelowna’s Brewery District is all about loving and celebrating everything to do with pooches. As we flipped through the many books of canine polaroids, past and present, we shared another dealer’s choice flight: Puckered Pooch — a salted lime margarita sour; London Dog — vanilla Earl Grey; Fuggley Dog — Irish pale ale; and the Walter — a double white IPA. The back wall was lined with more pup polaroids. The cuteness was overloading and we left with spirits high and a distinct desire to cuddle with all the doggos. Tuti picked up a pooch-themed cup as a consolation to actual cuddles. As we left with the frabjous taste of Puckered Pooch on our lips, we couldn’t help but wonder when a dog-themed brewery was going to open up back home. A testament to a successful concept and creating spaces for all dog lovers to unite. 

With our Okanagan road trip coming to a close, the memories from our unforgettable weekend were swirling about like a kaleidoscope, each meal and activity colliding to form a new understanding melding place, time and connection. Sqilxʷ/Syilx land is so momentous in that it melds such a rich culture with the earthly abundance of nearly 1000 farms, along with more than 200 parks, beaches and green spaces in Kelowna alone. Fostering our connection to land inherently lends itself to strengthening connection to ourselves and the communities who have always been here. The burgeoning slow living and farm-to-table movement here says so much about how these small business owners are educating their patrons on the importance of respecting local food systems — showing how taking a thoughtful approach to food production, giving credence to the land and prioritizing the ways of the Sqilxʷ/Syilx peoples leads to food that is undeniably superior in health and taste. 

In Jared Diamond’s book Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, his theory of geographic determinism concludes that it is geographical luck that determines a civilization’s ability to sustain a prosperous quality of life. Kelowna has that in spades with geographic and environmental advantages such as densely fertile land, domesticable plants and animals, and the ideal climate for some of the best produce Turtle Island can bare. As we drove back along the sprawling panoramas of mountains, forests, farms and wildfire pathways, we were struck by the fragility of contemporary life, while also finding profound comfort in the devout gratitude of experience that we just had the pleasure of partaking in. Kelowna, thank you and until next time.