August 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Kelowna, Breweries, Distilleries & Cideries
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The Kelowna area is known for its many fine wineries, but for those who prefer their liquids to be of the barley, hops and malt variety, take note: Tree Brewing has a cold one (or six) waiting just for you.
A stop at Tree Brewing wasn’t part of our original Kelowna plan, but we spotted a sign so we hung a left and checked it out.
Their chilly beer cooler room was stocked with a fine selection and served as a welcome break from the sweltering Kelowna heat (I’m a coastal wimp and melt in anything above 25°C). Beer samples were available to help parched visitors make up their mind about what to purchase.
As nice as it was in the cooler room, my favorite part of the visit was actually on the outside of the building: huge hops vines scaled the white bricks, all the way to the roof. Hops, one of the crucial elements of a fine brew, are known for growing very tall – and very quickly.
The Tree Brewing staff told us that hops could grow about one foot per day, and the vines out front reached the roof of the building in just three weeks! Very cool to see beer ingredients in their raw form.