Cowboys, rattlesnakes, sagebrush, dramatic mountain cutaways where millennia old glacial trails can be traced: these have been the trademarks of the Okanagan Valley for more than a century. Then, only a few decades ago, wine was brought into the fold as vinous aficionados searched for opportunities in the ‘new world.’ Craft beer is still stumbling to find its foothold here, but not without a tenacious few that believe there’s room enough for both types of beverages.
Although I grew up here, I’ve never done a wine tour, and if you had told me ten years ago that cans of Bud Light were steadily being replaced by bomber bottles of fruity beer, I would have laughed in disbelief. In a time and place where ‘tasting’ was code for conveniently not keeping track of how much was going down the hatch, it seemed what little craft beer offerings the valley had when I left seven years ago merely served the same purpose. Needless to say, this past weekend you could have found me eating more than just my words.
On the last weekend in April, I ventured to the South Okanagan for the Third Annual Osoyoos Oyster Festival. What three craft beer lovers could expect from a region where it seems like there are more wineries than full-time residents was anyone’s guess, and so, joined by the illustrious CAMRA BC – Vancouver Branch President, Adam Chatburn and the charming CAMRA BC – South Fraser Branch Community Liaison, Rhandi Plowright, I proceeded into the desert with little more than the knowledge that there wasn’t a single brewery in our destination town.
A father-son operation, Firehall Brewery produces three palatablebrews: Holy Smoke Stout, Stoked Ember (Amber) Ale, and Backdraft Blonde Ale. Generous portions were served in their quaint little pub above the brewery, where Québécois fruit-pickers killed time with fervent joie de vivre as they waited for the season to begin. Although the brewery is currently for sale, Firehall has become the de facto meeting place for beer lovers throughout the South Okanagan, and hopefully that won’t change when the new owners step in.
With that visit, all craft beer destinations within a 60 km radius of Osoyoos (this side of the border) had been ticked off so we headed back to the Spirit Ridge Resort for a hot tub while Adam prepared his palate for the following day’s craft beer and oyster pairing judging. By his account, no less than 60 brews (and nearly as many oysters) were submitted to be judged—proof enough that if Okanagan residents aren’t keen to produce craft beer themselves, the coastal breweries sure want to bring it to them.
Over the course of the evening, I had the pleasure of meeting Martin Lewis, whom Adam had met earlier that day as a fellow judge. Owner of Kettle Valley Station Pub and the soon-to-be-open Bad Tattoo Brewing (both in Penticton), Martin quickly became our beacon of brews in a valley of vintners.
Through the noise of the stage band and the numerous visitors at our table, an impromptu meeting to further discuss CAMRA BC was quickly setup for the next day at Martin’s pub in Penticton. We three CAMRA representatives sat down with Ron Dyck, owner of Cannery Brewing, Lorraine Nagy, owner of Tin Whistle and, of course, Martin to determine whether opening a branch in the Okanagan would be a feasible opportunity. The three owners were excited at the prospect and we hope we will be able to announce a new branch in the region soon!
On our way back to Vancouver via Highway 3, I was surprised to see a pub had closed its doors on the edge of Princeton. “I’ll bet it’s just closed for the season,” Adam remarked. “You know, until the tourists come out.
On that note we left the arid interior with not only a sun tan, but a sense of opportunity.
–CAMRA BC Communications Coordinator
CAMRA BC Sends Letter to Provincial Policy Makers Following Liquor Review
(Vancouver—April 17) Despite the growing popularity of craft beer in British Columbia, many consumers are still being left in the dark when it comes to knowing exactly what’s in their glass and a local consumer advocacy group is asking them to make a fuss about it. A letter was sent earlier this morning by the Campaign for Real Ale Society of BC (CAMRA BC) explaining the importance of their FUSS, or Fess Up to Serving Sizes campaign, to Attorney General Suzanne Anton, Parliamentary Secretary John Yap, LCLB General Manager Douglas Scott, NDP Alcohol Portfolio Critic Shane Simpson and Premier Christy Clark. It is a reminder that while laws are in place to prevent bars from misleading consumers on just how much beer they are getting for their buck, they remain unenforced.
“For too long has there been a discrepancy in what size a ‘sleeve’ of draught beer truly is and consumers are getting taken advantage of by establishments that do not to publish their serving volumes,” says the CAMRA BC Advocacy Committee Representative and Powell River Branch President, Paddy Treavor. “We have written to policy makers, urging them to consider the importance of consumer education with regards to alcohol and how it relates to consumer choice as well as public safety. It’s a common sense regulation that we see enforced in many other jurisdictions, but why not here?”
Not only is it important to know what you’re paying for, but also how tipsy you’re going to get off each glass, Treavor explains, “What many consumers don’t know is that there is no standard size for a ‘sleeve’ and we’ve seen them served anywhere between 12 and 16 ounces. There’s also the issue of whether a bar serves their ‘pint’ as American or Imperial, the difference of which is four ounces. More than that, not knowing the strength of what you just drank makes it difficult to determine if ordering one more is a good idea, so making it mandatory for bars to publish the details of a beer’s strength and serving size would help avoid over-consumption.”
Not only would knowing these details allow consumers to make informed decisions about how much is safe to drink before driving, but it would also help wait staff gauge when it’s time for someone to go home. “This legislation exists with good reason and enforcing it is imperative to maintaining public safety while helping bartenders to avoid over-serving at the same time,” insists Adam Chatburn, President of the CAMRA BC Vancouver Branch. “A simple solution is to phase in the requirement for any establishment that serves beer on tap to do so in glassware with its serving size marked and certified, as is common in many European countries.”
CAMRA BC is preparing to let consumers know how often they are being misled. The 1500 member strong advocacy group is prepared to get consumers on board as the campaign progresses through both petitions and letter writing. “We have been told that law enforcement has bigger things to worry about, but ignoring laws designed to prevent bars from misleading, and frankly overcharging, consumers while risking public health and safety is a very serious issue if you ask me,” Chatburn concludes.
You can follow the FUSS campaign as it develops by using the #FUSS and #ServingItWrong hashtags to keep track of where inaccurately sized beer is being served. You can learn more about FUSS here and for other CAMRA BC initiatives and how to get involved visit www.camravancouver.ca.
About CAMRA BC
The Campaign for Real Ale Society of British Columbia was formed in 1985 over a pint at the Rowing Club in Stanley Park and has supported the responsible evolution of craft beer in British Columbia ever since. As the province’s only consumer advocacy group for craft beer and financed wholly by membership dues, CAMRA BC is a 100% volunteer-run and independent organization that supports consumer choice through policy reform that reflects the values of education, creating craft beer awareness and supporting home brewing initiatives.
For media inquiries and interview opportunities please contact CAMRA BC’s Communications Coordinator at communications@camrabc.ca.
CAMRA BC
P.O. Box 36082
Esquimalt, B.C. V9A 7J5
-30-
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