With our first event commencing in Penticton just five days away and our Main Event in Kelowna nine days out, things are beginning to get pretty exciting. Between the 41 breweries and 3 cideries pouring at our Main Event, we will be showcasing 119 different craft beers and 9 ciders to our 2500 guests.
Must Try Brews of the Okanagan Beer Festival
From a beer festival director standpoint, I try to stay impartial to all beers but if I had to point out a few “must try” brews, I would have to say… (You may notice a slight IPA/Hoppy trend so excuse me)
Four Winds Brewing Co., Delta BC: Juxtapose Brett IPA
First of all, these folks cannot do any wrong when it comes to beer. They have been masters of their trade in the couple of years they have been around and show no signs of slowing. This beer is one of their amazing IPA recipes but fermented with Brettanomyces yeast, a strain that has seen resurgence in the past year or so with craft brewers. This wild yeast is a well appreciated and encouraged in Belgian style ales (of which Four Winds are just so darn good at) and makes for a great, interesting India Pale Ale. Expect notes of tropical fruit esters and mild Brett funk. Moderately bitter and gracefully balanced. Where orchards meet pastures.
WINNER
Silver Medal – American-Style Brett Beer. World Beer Cup, 2014
Bronze Medal – Belgian/French. B.C. Beer Awards, 2014
Whistler Brewing Co., Whistler BC: Big Sky Uncommon Lager
Whistler Big Sky Uncommon Lager brings back the hot fermentation tradition, creating a highly complex and unique craft lager. Full bodied, full character, with a decisively hop-forward clean finish.
Parallel 49 Brewing, Vancouver BC: Jerkface 9000
An easy drinking American wheat ale dry hopped with Mosaic Hops. Juicy citrus, tropical, and floral hop notes sit atop a light grainy malt base giving the beer a very flavourful hop punch with a light refreshing body.
Worthy Brewing, Bend OR: Worthy IPA
Clean, crisp and refreshing, with a wonderfully rich and unique hop aroma reminiscent of pineapple, mango and lemon. This amazingly balanced IPA is bursting with the finest hops Oregon has to offer.
Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers, North Vancouver BC: Sunkissed Tea Saison
A twist on the usual West Coast concept, this beer features a touch of spice off of the rye malt along with tropical tangerine and candied apricot aromas from the Galaxy hops, which are from Australia. Extremely drinkable, it packs a punch at 7% and 82 IBU’s.
2015 Great Okanagan Beer Festival Line-Up
And now here is what you have all been waiting for, the full line-up of our 2015 Main Event beers and ciders. Hold onto your hats folks and make room in your mugs, there is a lot of beer to enjoy.
Tickets are flying out and it is likely that there will be few, if any available on the day so please do not hesitate on grabbing your tickets in advance.
