Though famed as a wine region, the Thompson Okanagan also offers plenty of opportunities to sample locally produced beer.
Beer enthusiasts should mark their calendars with The Okanagan Fest-of-Ale, one of BC's largest beer festivals, taking place every April.
This annual weekend event showcases the newest and tastiest brews from over two dozen brewpubs, microbreweries and breweries, primarily in BC and Washington State.
Local breweries of note include:
Barley Mill Brew Pub
Sample the handcrafted ales and lagers produced at this Penticton microbrewery and served in its pub. Be sure to try its award-winning Barley Mill Pale Ale.
Crannog Ales
Canada's only Certified Organic farmhouse microbrewery brews unfiltered, unpasteurized "old-world" ales. The farm near Sorrento grows its own hops, raspberries, cherries, plums and crabapples - all used in the production of its ales.
Tree Brewing Company
Visit Kelowna's Tree Brewing's Tap Room to taste its handcrafted, microbrewed beers.
Cideries
The past five years have seen Okanagan cideries begin to press the region's divine, tree-ripened fruit to create deliciously creative blends - much to the delight of cider lovers everywhere.
The East Kelowna Cider Company
This cidery, idyllically situated on a fourth-generation, family-run orchard, has been producing superb ciders since 2002.
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Ross Hard Apple Cider refreshingly combines Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, McIntosh and Spartan varieties for a dry yet still fruity taste
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The company also produces a limited run of soft (non-alcoholic) ciders
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Take a guided tour and learn about the intriguing cider-making process - tastings included.