Touring the Thompson Okanagan: Beer – Tree Brewing, The Noble Pig and the Frick & Frack Taphouse

Comments 5 by John Biehler

The following was experienced and contributed by John Biehler exclusively for Miss604.com

Last week I was invited as a guest of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) to experience the region and see what the area has to offer. In this post, I’ll focus on one of my favorite things, beer.

Considering the region is world renowned for it’s wine, touring a number of beer related locales was a pleasant surprise.

Tree Brewing Company

Our first beer-related stop was the Tree Brewing Company in the heart of downtown Kelowna. The public is welcome to drop by the brewery for tours (check the website for tour schedules) and to sample some of the uniquely Kelowna craft beers made on the premises.

Tree Brewing Company

Tree Brewing Company

Tree Brewing Company

Their ‘Vertical Winter Ale’ is possibly the best winter seasonal beer I’ve ever had. Fortunately, you can get Tree beer in the lower mainland in BC Liquor Stores as well as on tap:

Tree Brewing Company

Our next beer stop was in Kamloops to visit The Noble Pig brewpub.

The Noble Pig

The Noble Pig

We met with brewmaster David Beardsell who gave us a tour of onsite brewery which he completely built from scratch after over 15 years in the business.

The Noble Pig

He was extremely passionate about his beer making and the attention to detail was unmistakeable…including all the custom made (and patented) brewing equipment, built to his specifications. If you’ve never done a brewery tour, I highly recommend it as there is nothing better than fresh beer.

We were also treated to something kind of new in the beer realm which is common for wine tastings – the food pairing. The Noble Pig’s chef had worked with David to create a unique menu of food that paired perfectly with one of the 6 brews made there.

The Noble Pig

Not being much of a seafood person in the past, I threw caution into the wind and dove into the mussles with chorizo sausage…I ended up having a second serving.

The Noble Pig

Also on the menu is a personal favorite: deep fried pickles which I first discovered in Austin, Texas.

Easily my favourite beer at the Noble Pig was Dave’s Peppered Belgian Ale – sadly only available on tap in Kamloops but worthy enough for a road trip.

Our final beer stop was the Frick & Frack Taphouse, conveniently located across the street from the Noble Pig – Kamloops is a bar hopping delight.

Frick & Frack Taphouse

With well over 106 different types of beer available, the Frick & Frack is a tasters dream. Sourced from all over the world, there are some truly unique beers to be found here.

Frick & Frack Taphouse

My favorite beer at the Frick & Frack was Flying Monkey’s Hoptical Illusion…which was fabulous.

One of my new favorite beers that I can't get at home

Stay tuned for the next dispatch from the Thompson Okanagan tour featuring wine later this week.

Related posts from this trip: Kelowna’s Hotel Eldorado, Kamloops BC Wildlife Park, Wine: Quail’s Gate & Tantalus

John is an avid photographer, gadget geek and traveller. You can find him on Twitter and at johnbiehler.com where he discusses photography and all sorts of technology. All photos in this post were taken by John.

Disclosure: Activities, services and dining experiences during the trip were compliments of Thompson-Okanagan Tourism. Follow all posts from this media trip under the tag: Okanagan.

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5 Comments  —  Comments Are Closed

  1. brianne sheppardMonday, November 1st, 2010 — 2:30pm PDT

    I LOVE the noble pig.. I have many a friend who is serving there and it’s nice to know that they are just as good to their employees as they are to their customers! I’m a HUGE fan of the Stuffed yorkies as well… handmade every day by a sweet older lady!

  2. Chris StirlingMonday, November 1st, 2010 — 3:21pm PDT

    John – It was a pleasure to have you and your group through the brewery last week. Thanks for the kind words on our Vertical Winter Ale.

    Please be sure to drop by on your next trip to Kelowna as we always have something new to try in the tap room.

  3. Ariane CSunday, November 21st, 2010 — 10:55am PST

    The Hoptical Illusion beer label design is sweet. Looks like a lot of hands were involved in the design process. There’s so much to take in!

  4. CamSunday, November 21st, 2010 — 11:16am PST

    Looks like a fun tour. 106 choices of beer is my kinda joint! 😉

  5. chrisThursday, April 14th, 2011 — 3:15pm PDT

    I highly recommend the Noble Pig, great beer……ALL of them. No white trash beers on tap..which is good. Finally we have a good place to drink draft in Kamloops. I love the IPA, peppered Belgium and the Scotch Ale….Very good.

    Give it a shot,

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