Empty Keg Brew House

Located in the beautiful Nicola Valley at the confluence of the Nicola and Coldwater Rivers, Merritt is a community that offers exceptional opportunities to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities: golfing, camping, hiking, mountain biking and fishing (locals say “There’s a lake a day as long as you stay.”), along with skiing and snowmobiling in the colder months. Unfortunately, because it is situated on the Coquihalla Highway halfway to Kamloops, many of us have only ever driven through Merritt or stopped there for lunch. Now, with the addition of its very own craft brewery, we all have incentive to plan for a longer stay!

The Empty Keg Brew House is the dream of the husband and wife team of Kelly and Kyle Hall. Kyle was an avid homebrewer who kept his friends and relations happy for years by sharing his delicious beer with them. About 10 years ago, one of them said, “Your beer is so good — if you ever open a brewery you’ll never be able to keep the kegs full.“ And that was where the brewery’s name came from.

Empty Keg offers a rotating range of beers with something suited to every taste. Hall says his recipe book is the thickness of an encyclopedia and he has only just scratched the surface since he opened in May 2019. He likes to work with local ingredients as much as possible, including hops from Sunshine Valley Hops, which is 10 minutes away, and honey from local apiaries. He also makes hard seltzers on site and mixes radlers on demand. You’ll often find something barrel aged on tap and you’re always welcome to fill a growler to go. Bring yours or get one of theirs!