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STRIKING GOLD IN KAMLOOPS GM Nick Curnow serves a beer from one of Red Beard Cafe's 18 craft taps
>> BEER SEEKERS
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f you make time to visit the Okanagan for beer, it would be a shame to miss out on Kamloops, the original gateway to BC’s gold rush territory. In the brief time we were there we had a few lucky strikes of our own.
Downtown Any beer tour of Kamloops has to begin with the luminary of the local brewing scene, Red Collar Brewing Co. We don’t assign such classifications gratuitously; given the brewery’s pedigree, it fits. This first-rate outlet is operated by the Beardsell family, founders of Kamloops' original craft microbrewery (Bear Brewing, 1995) and brewpub (The Noble Pig, 2010). They no longer run those businesses, directing their energy toward Red Collar in 2014. As always, there was a wide range of styles on the board including some advanced ones, and the flights we shared were spot on. David Beardsell and crew have not lost their touch since our original 2016 visit. The primary change at Red Collar since our last visit is the obligatory spacing of seating; we enjoyed our beers on their nice patio. View Red Collar profile on What's Brewing > Strolling out the back alley and down Victoria Street, you’ll find the aforementioned Noble Pig, a very solid brewpub. Grab a pint and some dinner. If you’re out on the patio, look over the fence and listen carefully; you’ll be able to hear the crowd on the patio at the next establishment. Guess what: that’s where you’re headed next. 36 WHAT'S BREWING FA L L 2020
Walk next door to the Thompson Hotel, and you’ll be at Alchemy Brewing Company, where your crawl continues with a full menu of 8-10 beers. Then, if you want one more late-night drink, stop in at the Frick & Frack Taphouse, formerly the Fogg N' Suds Kamloops. You’ll find a few craft offerings here, but be warned that it’s no longer the tap house it once was.
North Shore As we did in Kelowna, it’s time to hop a bus on a $4 daypass for a day of beer touring. Fortunately, all of our beer targets are connected by the town’s main bus routes. Grab a ride to the North Shore; it’s about as fast as you could drive there yourself. In seven minutes, you’ll be at your first stop.
